Unthawing A Frozen Heart
by LightMidnight
Summary: "You are many things; irritating, tenuous, and feeble-minded. Amusing does not play into this description." - A life nine-hundred years into the past was not something Selene expected to become accustomed to. Especially when she has to rely on her own intuition and an enormously conceited assassin for safety. Unfortunately, things don't always go as planned. Altair x OC. Rated M
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello!**

 **So, this is my first attempt at an AC story. I've played most of the games and finished through them but I had just started to come around to making a story. Not that I haven't wanted to for a while, but I have a few other stories that I still want to tend to so updates may be a little slow. Usually when I start a new story I go crazy for the first eight chapters or so, so that should keep everyone entertained for at least a while.**

 **This will start off as modern day, then move into AU.**

 **Please don't hesitate to tell me how you like it, what I can do to hopefully improve and errors if there are any. This will be unbeta'd until I somehow find someone willing for that position.**

 **With that said, please Enjoy!**

 **(~0~)**

Orphan.

The most annoying, degrading, and ridiculous insult shot at someone who was left without parents and sent to a place where others could relate. Of course, that place was called an orphanage.

And that was where Selene had been left at when she was an infant. Left without guardians, a home, and an identity.

Selene wasn't always Selene. To the caretakers at the orphanage, she was just a baby that had no information left behind with her. Not even a first and last name could be found. She was simply a newborn, and that was it.

Her new guardians took the liberty of feeding her, clothing her, and homing her despite the fact that they knew nothing about her. Their hope for her grew stronger as well as their attachment to her. When she was six months old and they could still not find out anything about her, they decided to start fresh. It was then that they decided to call her Selene.

Selene was a beautiful name for the nameless child, they thought. It had been almost strange; the night that she had been found on their doorstep, the moon had been a vibrant, stark red. A lunar eclipse.

Her name meant lunar; of the moon.

And it was perfect.

When she was just two years of age, Selene learned to speak. Her first words—comical to her caretakers—were their names. Leanne and Eva. She wasn't able to say them fully, just little coos that sounded like 'Lamb' and 'Va'. It had always made the two women laugh, full of love for the toddler.

They were both extremely excited when little Selene had finally sprouted hair. They had begun to think that she would be forever bald, until one day they woke up to tufts of chestnut-brown hair on the top of her head. It had coincided beautifully with her baby teal eyes.

They loved Selene so much.

On the day of her third birthday, Leanne had come to Eva with an idea. This idea was that until someone of their standards had adopted her, Selene would be given her last name. Eva was a bit skeptical at first, being that she had wanted the little tyke to take hers instead; but they had enough children to take care of as it was, so she couldn't be selfish and adopt the child. So she agreed.

Selene was now Selene Carmichael, for the time being.

Weeks turned into months, and months turned into years progressing her life. Her caretakers had schooled her with the other orphaned children when she turned five. She was quite into her academics; smart with her words and with her grades, which greatly pleased her guardians.

Sadly, the other children did not agree.

It was not so bad in her earlier years. Nothing had happened to her, just a few meaningless words from their mouths here and there. When she turned seven, things started to take a turn for the worst.

Selene was strong enough to take words. She had once read a more advanced book on how it was best to treat everyone with kindness, no matter the occasion and the old saying quoted in the book.

 _Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt._

She had always embraced the saying, making her persona all the tougher. She thanked the day that she walked into Eva's room to find that book on her bottom shelf.

Words she was able to take. But physical abuse was different.

She wasn't a frail girl by any means. When she received a cut or a bruise, she never cried to herself or to her caretakers. She never cried at all. Granted it did hurt sometimes, but it wasn't enough to make her shed tears.

No, she wasn't frail. But she wasn't immune to pain, either.

A couple of the older boys who lived with her had found her reading a book on the front steps of the orphanage. That day, she was scheduled for a potential adoption appointment that made her nervous to the tips of her toes. So instead of pacing around like a cornered cat, she took her own initiative and began to read.

Well, she _tried_ to read it. Right before it was plucked out of her grip.

"What's this? Reading junk again?" asked the boy holding the book up by its page. It was bound to rip if he continued to hold it like that. "Shouldn't you be reading a children's book? Aren't you like five?"

Selene frowned at his mockery. _Sticks and stones._ She reminded herself.

"Seven. But good guess." She smiled politely, quickly yanking the book back to herself before damage could be done to it. The two other boys beside him laughed, clearly amused at her adult display.

"Shut it!" He barked at them, instantly shutting them up. Fear shone in their eyes because of him. Selene saw it and felt a bit of remorse. They weren't following him because they liked him, they were following him because they were scared. Pre-teens proved to have lots of peer pressure, it seemed.

He then turned to Selene, who had yet to move from her spot. She only stood and stared at him with bored eyes. "Seven or seventy?" he snickered, crossing his arms and leaning over her. He was much taller than her, at least more than a foot. She tried not to feel intimidated. "You should be reading things that fit your age. No one likes a wannabe!"

The brunette felt her temper flare. Who did this boy think he was? She was trying to be nice, trying to keep to herself, but people like him were making it severely hard to. "At least I _can_ read." She replied monotonously.

She knew that she was an old soul. She preferred it that way. It made thinking a bit easier and learning as well.

Her comment made the boys cheeks flush angrily. Before she could turn on her heel and evade the upcoming situation, the boy threw his hand out, knocking her down and making her lose her grip on her book. It landed in the mud a few feet away from her, now sullied like she.

" _You…_ " he growled, slamming her prone form down into the dirt and straddling her waist. He didn't continue his words, but his fists had proven the point for him.

She couldn't remember how many hits he got in. Ten? Eleven? The numbers went up as he mercilessly beat her down, her whimpers only fueling his hurt pride and hatred. He continued until her eyes were bruised closed and her face was barely recognizable.

The duo behind them could only watch in horror, trying to think of things to possibly stop the boy from his beating. It seemed that they didn't need to, though, because the sound of Leanne's shout reached their ears as she came barreling down the steps towards the two on the ground, ripping the boy off of Selene as fast as her hands would grab him.

"What have you done?!" she screamed at the boy, anger now turning into confusion and then to guilt as she continued to berate him. " _What have you done?!"_ she cried again, holding the bloodied and broken girl in her arms and weeping hysterically over her.

Eva appeared at the sound of her friend's screams, trying to figure out the situation as she stood at the top of the steps. "What is— _Oh my god!"_ she felt her heart drop into her stomach at the sight of Selene.

She looked so bad that Eva feared she was dead. Her eyes were swollen shut, her nose at an odd angle with blood pouring out of it while her face was decorated with black and blue bruising. She was unconscious, furthering the caretaker's worries.

"I-I don't think she's breathing…" Leanne sobbed when Eva's knees hit the dirt beside her. Her alarmed expression turned to the two boys standing next to the guilty boy. "Go inside and grab me the phone! Hurry!" she snapped, and they both skirted away. She then looked to the boy still on the ground with his guilt apparent on his face. "You are in deep, _deep_ trouble, young man!" she spat angrily, promises of retribution in her eyes.

The rest of the night had been a blur. Selene had missed her adoption appointment due to her time in the hospital. She was thankfully alive and breathing, but she still hadn't woken from her seemingly deep slumber. Eva had taken the time grilling the boy for answers on what he had done, and when she had found out, she immediately called the police and had him sent to a children's correctional center. She didn't like it, really she didn't; she had never had to do that until this had happened. But it had to be done.

Leanne and Eve stood outside Selene's room, watching her sleep through the glass window that peeked into her room. They'd been standing there for almost an hour, contemplating on what to do from there. They didn't know Selene was being bullied, and that broke their hearts for the little girl. She was sweet, smart, and fearless and she didn't deserve to be hurt like this.

"Excuse me? Are you Selene's caretakers?"

A voice asked from the side, making the two women whip their heads in its direction. There stood a man and a women, a couple which were in their early thirties and had a mixture of worry and grief on their faces. They looked out of place in the hospital, but the caretakers instantly knew why.

This was the couple that had wanted to adopt Selene.

The both of them had been wearing suits, obviously coming from their workplace to the hospital in a rush. A few other men in suits behind them watched their conversation carefully, adjusting their earpieces every so often in case something was amiss.

"We are," Eva spoke first, reaching out a hand to the couple. "We thank you and your wife for coming, Senator."

Senator Grieves was a senator of Minnesota. At first, Leanne and Eva were surprised that he and his wife wanted to adopt a child, but after his wife went through two miscarriages, the two of them decided against trying again and decided to adopt Selene. Selene had been their first initial choice upon hearing about how brilliant of a child she was. The duo couldn't have asked for a better candidate.

"Think nothing of it." The senator replied, a sad smile on his face. The politician had seemed so stern and hardheaded when the media portrayed him, but he was a good man under his acting. "We came as soon as we could. How is she?"

"She's stable. She'll probably be in a lot of pain when she wakes up, though." Leanne said quietly. She was still trying to get over the fact that she had been the one to find the boy beating up her precious girl.

"I wouldn't doubt it," the man sighed, running a hand through his blonde strands that had become unkempt due to his stress. "We're just glad that she will be okay. Is there still a possibility that we can talk about her adoption?"

Leanne and Eva looked at each other, awe and disbelief set on their features. They hadn't expected the Grieves' to suggest such a thing at the time, especially in a hospital, but that showed just how much this adoption meant to them. It made both of their hearts warm.

"Of course!" Eva replied, smiling when the couple sent back surprised but happy looks. "How about we go to the lobby?"

 **(~0~)**

Three months passed.

Selene was healed of all her injuries when the time came for her to leave the orphanage. It had been a rough process—they had done all of the deciding when she was out cold—but she wasn't complaining. She loved her caretakers but she adored the idea of having a family of her own.

The boy that had hurt her was sent to juvenile hall for the remainder of the year; four months. She didn't hate him. No, of course she didn't. She was mostly angry at herself for letting him get the best of her and letting an outburst spill. Had she left and kept her mouth shut, he wouldn't have been in the position he was now and she would have been adopted earlier.

 _Better late than never._ She told herself, words laced with positivity.

She had been so excited.

Sitting in the living room, surrounded by silence until her new parents filled out the papers of her adoption was unnerving. Only until Leanne read the last line on her papers was when the silence was broken, her voice choked up as she recited them: "On this day, the twenty-sixth of August in two-thousand and seven, Selene Carmichael is now appointed under the guardianship of Jeanine and Jameson Grieves and will be until documented otherwise."

Those words brought a large grin onto her lips and made her caretakers cry happy tears.

She had left them with a long goodbye, forcing herself to not squirm in the two women's holds when they hugged her tightly. They had smoothed down her hair, fixed her clothes, and pinched her cheeks in adoration, telling her how proud they were of her and that they would miss her.

She promised them that she would visit, kissing them both on their flushed cheeks and bid them a final goodbye.

She didn't look back in fear of crying.

As her new family walked to the car with their arms placed on her small shoulders, her new mother spoke. "You are such a strong girl." She complimented the child softly. She tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and her eyes sparkled. "I can't believe you didn't shed one tear, sweetling."

Sweetling? She tested out the words in her mind, finding that she liked them.

"I was taught only to shed tears if absolutely necessary." She replied back quietly. That made the couple look at each other with worried glances. Alarm bells rang off in the little girl's mind. _Oh no._

"I'm sorry…" she tried not to sound alarmed. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked hesitantly, looking up at them with worried teal eyes.

Senator Grieves only shook his head, ruffling her locks with barely concealed affection. "We were only surprised, that's all." He assured her. The car appeared in sight, the giant exterior causing Selene's eyes to widen briefly. A man stood outside the vehicle, his suit clean and pristinely pressed as he eyed them upon arrival. He nodded to the couple, opening the back door to the vehicle.

His eyes shifted to Selene, and they softened upon seeing her wary form as he gave her a small smile. That made the tension in her shoulders drop, and she smiled back until she could see him no more when she was guided into the vehicle next to her guardians.

They arrived at their destination about thirty minutes later, in front of a white gate that opened when they stopped in front of it. The house that they occupied was bigger than Selene ever imagined. She had heard that Mr. Grieves was an important man, so she knew he would be wealthy, but this exceeded her ideas.

It was a marvelous estate. Selene thought it resembled the Whitehouse with its marbled appearance, columns reaching up to the high roof and holding up the balcony in front. The brunette fought the urge to run into the house and explore like someone her age would. Unless allowed, she would respect her guardians and their wishes.

They were let out of the vehicle and led inside the glorious house. Upon entering, the marbled flooring and grey walls spoke volumes to the child and she peered around to see multiple paintings and statues lined against the walls. There were two staircases—who needed that many?—that led to the upper level, of which she was sent to by her guardians.

The upstairs was just as nice as downstairs, but rooms lined each side of the hall. There were sixteen rooms and eight bathrooms in total; six bedrooms, two guest rooms, two offices, a guest office, a library, a workout room, a theater room, an artist studio, and even a playroom for children. She felt elated when hearing that part.

The room they had planned to be hers hade nearly made her jaw drop in awe. The walls were a pale violet, the carpet plush under her feet as she stepped carefully to the canopy bed. She sat down to take in the rest of the room; grey vanity with a plush purple chair, a soft purple dresser to fit her clothes in placed next to a floor-to-ceiling window that had its grey curtains pulled back to overlook the dark backyard.

They had even left her glow-in-the-dark star stickers to decorate the room with as she wished.

The thought made her smile.

She could hear the Senator chuckle at her display. "I see that you like this; I'm glad." He waved a hand around the places that were missing furniture. "The rest of the room is yours to add whatever you want. Just let us know and we'll do our best to find it."

Selene couldn't have been happier. She was a lucky girl and she was grateful towards the couple for their kindness. "I don't know how to thank you…" she said honestly, getting up and making her way back over to the couple in the doorway. Once she stopped in front of them, she reached her arms out and circled them around the Senator's waist.

The man ruffled her hair again—he really liked to do that, it seemed—and gave her a smile that brightened his features. "This is one way to." He stopped his caressing of her head, his smile widening when she turned and hugged his wife the same way. The women leaned down and wrapped her arms around the girl, radiating a happiness that could only be described as motherly love.

"We hope that you like it here." She started, pulling back to look at Selene at an arm's length. "You can call us whatever you want. Mom, Dad, Mother, Father, even our names. Whatever makes you feel comfortable, we won't mind."

"I, um…" Selene trailed off, thinking for a moment before continuing. "I need time to think about that…"

"Of course. However long you need." Mrs. Grieves stood, her hand still on the girls shoulder to offer her comfort. "We should let you get some rest. Do you want my help with anything?"

The women meant well, Selene knew that. Even so, she was old enough to dress herself and tuck herself into bed (at least she thought so), so she shook her head and gave her new mother a reassuring smile. "I'll be okay."

"Alright." She nodded, albeit a little sadly. That made Selene deflate a bit. Perhaps she should have let her stay and help? "If you need anything at all, our room is two doors down." She leaned down, kissing the girl's forehead softly and making her cheeks heat up. "Goodnight, darling."

Mr. Grieves did the same, pecking the girl on the top of her head before turning and following his wife out after saying a quiet 'goodnight'.

Once her door was closed, Selene eyed her surroundings for a final time before opening her suitcase and picking out her favorite pair of nightwear. She flicked the lights off before climbing under her silver comforter, sinking into the foamed mattress and shutting her eyes to fall into a deep sleep.

 **(~0~)**

 **A/N: This is only the prologue. The next chapter will be a few time skips, and they will be large. I don't want to focus too much on the modern world because this fic is specifically AU. I don't know much about adoption considering I never was, but please don't be offended if I am not right in the sense. I wanted to focus on the life after adoption, not before.**

 **With that being said, I hope you enjoyed this short prologue! I will most likely have the next few chapters up with every few days, but they will be about 7-10k words each. I was never one for writing short chapters so I hope this pleases you guys.**

 **~M**


	2. A New Inspiration

**Five Years Later**

At twelve years of age, Selene had grown fully accustomed to living with Mr. and Mrs. Grieves in their large estate.

Over the years, she had went through drastic changes and so had her life. The first week of her stay with her new family had proven to be a challenge. She had expected to be placed in public school like a normal child would be, but apparently her parents had other ideas. They had hired a private teacher so that she could learn at home, so contact with other children would be minimal unless they had business soirees that allowed them.

Not that it mattered. Selene had preferred to be around adults more than children considering how different she was from children her age. Instead of playing with dolls, she read books. Instead of playing outside in the rain with a raincoat and boots to match, she practiced instruments and painted. She was never forced to choose between the two; she just liked doing these things better.

Her favorite thing to do of all was painting and that would never change. She loved to divulge in the art of creativity and drawing and painting helped her do this. Sure, she loved other things just as the next person, but painting was something that allowed her to travel out of her element, if not for a little while.

Her father (she resorted to calling them mother and father, more for their sakes then hers) was always called to work away from home so he never truly had the time to witness her express herself on a canvas. Luckily, her mother did her work from home, so she spent as much time as she could with her daughter without skipping her duties. She always complimented Selene on her beautiful drawings, even more so when she completed them by adding a touch of color.

"You are a natural." She gushed proudly, patting the girl on her head affectionately. "If this truly calls to you, maybe you should pursue this as a career in the future."

She thought about it, really she did. Even now, thinking back on her mother's words, she continued to think about it. Despite her love for her hobby, she wanted to have more time to consider her profession when she was older. She was only twelve, after all.

Today was a rainy day, something that prevented Selene from going outside and painting the gardens like she usually did. So she improvised, setting up her canvas next to her bedroom window to look out and paint a dreary scene. But no matter how long she sat there and stared while the pitter-patter of rain tapped the glass, she couldn't find the motivation to start drawing.

 _Today's just not the day._ She sighed to herself, picking herself up out of her seat and nearing her vanity. She took in her reflection: strawberry brown hair with a set of teal eyes that stared back at her, a slim nose with full lips and a small dash of barely existent freckles on her cheeks that occupied an angular face. She thought she looked a little old to be her age, but she wasn't complaining. That only added to her persona. The only way you could tell that she was twelve was her slowly aging, pre-teen body and her miniscule height of five feet.

She still had a lot of growing to do.

 _Patience is a virtue._

A knock sounded at her door, making her turn and look over her shoulder as it opened to find her mother standing on the other end. She noticed Selene standing off-putted next to her vanity, a small frown marring her face at the action.

"Something the matter, darling?" she asked the brunette softly, arching a blonde brow. Selene shook her head, turning her full attention towards her mother.

"No, mother. I just can't find it in me to paint today." She said honestly, running her hands through her elbow-length tresses. She tilted her head at her mother, briefly wondering why she had stopped by. "Is there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Yes, actually." The woman's frown turned up slightly into a small smile, opening the door wider so that both of them could fit through it. "There's someone here who wants to see you." She hinted mischievously, her blue eyes lighting up.

Selene found herself taking in her mother's apparel. Instead of her usual skirt-suit, she was wearing a green cashmere sweater with a black scarf and a pair of comfortable jeans. That was rare for her, even on her lazy days.

And then she remembered. She only wore those types of clothes when certain people came over. A grin broke out on her face.

That meant _he_ had come over.

She raced past her mother in delight, taking note of her warning not to sprint in the house as she trudged quickly but carefully down the stairs and into the family room where she knew he'd be waiting.

Once she saw a tall, raven-haired male come into view, she zipped over to him before he could acknowledge her and she tackled his form into a hug. That shocked him, but he was quick to catch them before they could go toppling over.

"Woah—Okay, okay! Easy, Selene." He laughed, collecting the pre-teen into his arms and spinning her before depositing her back onto her feet. His hazel eyes softened at the sight of her and he gave her a dazzling smile, one that would make all the ladies swoon around him.

Selene being one of them.

"I missed you, Cameron." The words came out as an excited squeal. She realized that she sounded like a school girl pining after her crush, but she couldn't help it. Cameron and his family rarely visited, but when they did, she spent as much time as possible with him in fear of not seeing him again.

It wasn't his fault, however.

Cameron was something that people called a child genius when he was younger, a prodigy of sorts. She wasn't on the same level as he was when he was her age, but she was nearly there. But instead of being schooled at home like she was, he had been sent to one of the most prestigious schools in the area to further his studies.

It didn't matter to her. He was brilliant no matter what he did.

At just seventeen years old, Cameron had received a full-fledged scholarship to Harvard, making it extremely hard for him to be away for long. Whenever he could get time away, he would visit her for as long as possible. And that would never change.

Ever since they had met (Selene had been eight and afraid of him due to his towering height), the two had been attached to the hip like peas in a pod. Cameron had found her drawing outside in the old oak tree that stood next to the horse stables, her dominant hand scribbling away while she held her lip between her teeth in concentration. He had been told to introduce himself to the little lady, the declaration not surprising him as he strived to do so. He was without siblings—not that he had the time to play with them if he had them—so it would have been interesting to meet someone that could potentially be his friend.

He understood that she was young, a _lot_ younger than he was, but was told that she was a polite and smart child who he would get along with easily. He took his chances with what his family told him, making his way over to the girl and clearing his throat to gain her attention. She instantly jumped at the noise, digging her fingers into the tree and dropping her pencil and notebook onto the ground.

Cameron blinked, curious at why she showed such a reaction when he hadn't even said anything. "Hello." He spoke slowly, trying not to spook the girl in case her grip wasn't strong and _she herself_ would fall out of the tree. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Selene looked at him warily, her expression betraying her thoughts as she replied meekly, "You didn't scare me. I was surprised, that's all."

The boy nodded his head, trying not to smirk as he leaned down and collected her drawings from the vibrant grass. He could hear a sharp intake of breath as his eyes scanned the paper, carefully taking in the art that she created. For someone so young, she was abundantly talented.

Her drawing was of the horse pasture next to them. There were a few horses grazing here and there while there was another drawing of a stallion with his ears up, but the rest of his body had yet to be finished. She had him set proportionately while he stood, shaded in the correct areas while he could see the marks of her pencil where she had lightly pressed into the paper.

"These are fantastic, Selene." He complimented her, reaching up so that she could grab her book back. Her cheeks flushed at the praise.

"Thank you." She muttered embarrassedly, wanting to find more words but having none for him. Her brain did a backflip to his earlier words. He had known her name? How? "You know my name?" she suddenly asked, placing her notebook down beside her and watching him look up at her from the ground. Cameron nodded, going on to explain how his and her families knew each other and how they had told him lots about her.

She only flushed more when he did. No one had really been interested so much in her before, so she couldn't help but feel flattered. She realized that she didn't even know his name yet and she hoped that wasn't insulting to him.

"Forgive me." He apologized, reaching a hand up to her in greeting. "I didn't tell you my name. I'm Cameron. Cameron Firenze." Once they gripped hands for a firm shake, he smiled. "Nice to meet you."

Hearing that name struck a chord in her, but she couldn't remember where she had heard it before. She wondered if she had heard it somewhere in history when she was learning with her teacher. Cameron had a slight accent that came through when saying it, and she identified it as Italian. She tried to scroll through her mind of all the prestigious family names in Italy in the past. The Italian Renaissance was a time with many noble families that—

"Firenze…" she stopped her trail of thought, whispering to herself as she still held the grip of her new acquaintance. Of course! It all made sense now. She let go of his hand, nearly startling the boy when she slipped out of the tree gracefully to land on her feet below. She turned hastily towards him peering into his face with curious abandon.

"Uh…"

"Your full name." she spoke, cutting him off. "It's not _just_ Firenze, is it?"

Cameron blanched, feeling shock roll over his body at her prodding voice. _How did she know?_

Instead of denying it like he was supposed to, he found that she was no harm to him. Her family was extremely close to his and he didn't think she would run around like a headless chicken spewing off his family name. She hardly left the estate to do that.

"Very clever, moon child." He joked, referring to her own name. She smirked at that, something he rarely saw on a child's face. "Yes, you're correct. My full name is Cameron Auditore de Firenze."

She knew it! She thanked her teacher for keeping her so historically informed.

"You're a descendant of the Auditore house in Italy!" she exclaimed in awe. Being a remaining family member, especially so far into the twentieth century, was an amazing feat. Usually lines dissipated a few hundred years after being formed, but this family was anything but. The line stayed firm and even if they branched out, someone would still carry on the family name. "That's so…so…"

"Cool?" he finished cheekily, placing a hand on his hip. He tried not to appear smug, but the girl just kept adding onto his ego. He found that he quite liked it.

Selene laughed. "Not the word I was going for, but that works."

Cameron found himself laughing with her. He knew that they would have a friendship that would carry on for as long as they knew each other. He liked that idea. He stretched his arm out to the little lady. "Want to walk with me?" he asked, trying to appear charming for Selene. The brunette rolled her eyes at his antics. She could tell that this boy was going to be a handful.

"Certainly, good sir." She played it out with him, looping her arm with his and trudging back to the house, her notebook left behind in the tree to continue later.

She had finally found a friend.

.

.

.

.

"Helloooo? Earth to Selene?"

The memory faded from her mind when Selene realized Cameron had been calling her name, trying to shake her from her stupor. She was still holding onto him, and he had his hands on her shoulders having the audacity to look confused.

"Sorry. What were you saying?" she chirped, releasing him from her hug. His smile returned full force, causing her to mimic the action. He turned on his heel, making his way towards the couch and slumping down on it.

"I said," he versed again, opening his arms in welcome to her. "That I missed you too."

"Of course you did." She snorted, crossing her arms and shooting him down with a mock glare. "I've called _and_ written you what, six or seven times in the past two weeks? Seems you're too busy to talk to your best friend. Wait," she gasped in fake horror, placing her hands on her cheeks and giving him her best puppy eyes. "You've replaced me, haven't you! Oh, the betrayal!"

"What?! No I haven't!" He snapped, launching out of his seat towards her and falling to his knees in front of her. This way, they saw eye to eye on the same level. "You are still and always will be my best friend, moon child."

Selene wanted to snicker. He was too gullible. One advantage that she had over him was that he couldn't bear to see her sad. Had she even gave one pout or whimper, he was all over her like a mother hen. It was quite empowering.

The mischievous girl broke out into a smile, tapping his cheek thoughtfully. "I know. I was just kidding."

Cameron snorted, pinching her side and standing up to his full height once again. "Little brat," he joked affectionately. "Now you're definitely not getting your gift."

That made her pause. "Gift?" she asked incredulously, her jaw dropping when he turned his back and looked around the room. Anywhere but her, apparently. "Hey, don't ignore me!" she punched his back, making sure not to hurt him. It wasn't like she could, though. He was like a brick wall.

"Sorry, were you saying something?" he copied her from earlier, making her cheeks heat up angrily at his mockery. Oh, he thought he was just _soo_ funny, didn't he? Well then, fine. If he would act like that, then she didn't care to know.

"I guess I'll just go upstairs then." She warned lightly, taking slow and calculated steps towards the nearest exit. She knew he couldn't keep up his charade for long, so she continued until he would cave in.

When she made it to the doorway, Cameron let out a loud sigh that showed his frustration. "Fine, fine. I give up," he turned to her, raising his hands in defeat. She stopped immediately, giving him a cheeky grin in return. She knew he couldn't last that long. Poor guy.

"Now will you tell me about this 'gift'?" she asked slyly, placing her hands on her hips and leaning towards him.

Thankfully, he nodded and waved a sun-kissed hand towards the sliding glass door that led to the backyard. "Right this way, your highness." The teenager chuckled, and Selene gave a mock curtsey before strutting over and placing her arm in his, just like when they were younger.

"Away we go, then."

 **(~0~)**

Selene never considered herself the violent type.

Especially with her hobbies and interests, violence was never key to her and she always thought with her brain rather than her fists. It proved to work, too.

Most of the time.

Her gift was something that she had never thought of using, but upon first release, she fell in love. The wilder side of her squealed in delight as she continued to play with her new toy.

"Raise your elbow a little higher. You'll have better aim that way." Cameron instructed her.

Selene nodded, raising her bow and positioning the arrow so that it would likely hit the target. It was a western bow that was carved from cherry wood and plated in iron so she had better grip. There was a type of beautiful seal placed up and down the bow, a bit unusual but she liked it anyway.

She took a deep breath, just like Cameron had instructed her to do so that her body reduced its natural shake. Time slowed for her as she took slow, measured breaths and looked at her target. She only focused on the point in the middle and nowhere else.

She released.

And missed completely.

What happened? Was her grip not firm enough? Slippery? The rain had dimmed to a sprinkle, so she was hardly wet at all. That couldn't of been it.

Her shoulders slumped. Was it really that hard?

Cameron laughed at her disappointed face, patting her shoulder gently. "No one gets it on their first try." He coaxed her to raise the bow again. "You have the right idea going for you. Now all you have to do utilize it to the best of your ability."

She raised her bow again, waiting before pulling tightly on the string and holding her breath. She would get it right this time. She wouldn't let aim deficiency beat her. "Picture the target as something large and easy to hit. Focus on that spot and then release."

"Okay."

Breathe. Aim. Pull.

Before she could release, however, something she would never understand happened to her vision. It was as if she was looking through a thermos scope. The colors shined blue and gold before dissipating as quickly as they came. It was strange, but something she would dwell on later.

 _Focus, Carmichael. Focus._

Release.

It didn't hit dead center like she wanted it to, but it was close. Outside the edge of the inner circle.

That was enough, for now. She would practice more and hopefully get it right when she had the time.

Cameron seemed happy for her, though. That gave her a slight confidence boost. "Practice makes perfect, little moon. It took me a bit to get it too."

"What else can you do?" she rose an eyebrow. "Fly?"

"Hardy-har-har." He pretended to laugh, messing her hair up into a frizz-like state. Selene slapped his hands away, growling at him in an unladylike fashion. He brought the best out of her and the worst.

That part was the worst, in this occurrence.

"I've got to leave soon."

Aaaand there went her good mood.

The brunette snapped her head in his direction, gripping her bow tightly in subdued anger. It was always like this. He visited her for a few hours, joked around with her some, and then left at the end of the day. She understood that he had important things to do, but would it kill him to at least _try_ and talk to her more than once a month?

"Please don't look at me that way." He sighed, moving to comfort her somehow. He knew she would act like this. She always did when he got ready to leave. "You know that I'd stay longer—"

"Would you?" her voice held no emotion. She didn't know what she felt anymore.

"Of course I would! I would choose to live here if I could, Selene."

"You don't even make an effort to call me anymore!" she snapped hotly, tossing the bow on the ground in the process so she could direct her fury onto him. "Is this why you bought me a bow? So that I would be distracted and forget about the fact that you don't even want to talk to me anymore?!"

"Selene—"

" _No!_ " she bit out, taking a step away from him. He was too close, _too close_ and suffocating her. She couldn't breathe around him. Her only friend didn't want her anymore. The air was sucked from her lungs. Never before had she felt such pain. Not even when she was beaten by the other orphan when she was seven.

"Stop interrupting me, dammit!" Cameron barked, and in the blink of an eye he gripped her small shoulders. Not enough to hurt her, just enough to make her see. He could tell that his outburst shocked her, maybe even scared her a little bit. He had never cursed at her before. But this was important. "Give me a chance to explain myself, please." He almost begged, letting her arms go and giving them a gentle rub.

"Go on, then. Explain." She muttered, looking down and clenching her fists.

"Over dinner?"

Her eyes widened, looking up to meet his. He never stayed that long, so why did he suggest dinner? "W-What?"

"Dinner. Let me take you out to dinner." He said slowly, just so she could comprehend what he was asking. It was a long stretch, but Selene loved food; what better way to explain to her then over eating her favorite foods?

Selene couldn't quite comprehend, though. Was he asking her out on a date? _Her,_ of all people? The thought made her feel a little disturbed. She loved him, and yes he was good looking, but he was like her brother. How could he hold any romantic feelings towards her?!

When the ravenette saw the look on her face, his own tanned skin paled to an almost sickly color. "God, no! I didn't mean like—like _that!_ " his face flushed and he felt sweat trickle down his back. "You're like my sister, for god's sake!"

Selene let out a relieved breath. "Thank goodness for that." She laughed awkwardly, her anger forgotten momentarily. "Fine. I'll go. But this better be good, or I swear I'll—"

"Please, don't threaten me. You're scary as it is." He whined like a child, feeling a little better that she wasn't chewing him out like before. "We better make good time. Let's leave now." He suggested, scurrying away to the house so she couldn't say anything to change her own mind. "And don't forget to tell your mom."

 **(~0~)**

"So, you're _not_ majoring in law anymore?"

"Nope."

"And you're _not_ going to Harvard? You're going to college in the United Kingdom?"

"Yes." Cameron answered again, moving his fork around his plate and scooping some pasta onto it. "Oxford. And that's why I can't call you as much."

"Because their services are different from ours and long distance is hard to come by." It was a statement, not a question. She kept her voice lower to be polite to the other customers eating in the Italian restaurant. Cameron had done well; she loved Italian food. But she was so engrossed in their conversation that she hardly touched her tortellinis.

"Unfortunately." He replied sheepishly, taking a sip of water and clearing his throat before continuing. "And there's only so many places I can go to get a phone that calls oversees. Not to mention that I barely have enough time to talk as it is." His expression fell, and she saw the genuine guilt he bore for her. "Please believe me. I want to talk to you more, really I do. In fact, as soon as I get back I'm going to buy an all new computer that we can video chat on. That way I don't have to use the phone and we can even see each other. How does that sound?"

Selene listened, taking in his every word. Why hadn't they thought of this sooner? She had a laptop already, but it didn't have a webcam. Not many people used that sort of thing, they weren't very popular unless you uploaded a video of yourself to YouTube or something. But she liked the idea.

"As long as you'll try to contact me every chance you get." She scolded lightly, a small smile playing on her lips. As always, she couldn't stay mad. Not at him.

"You have my promise. I'll do whatever I can to make it up to you."

"How about more archery lessons?" she teased, poking him with the end of her fork. That brought a chuckle from him, making him retaliate by flicking her forearm. Playful banter that she hoped would never diminish as they grew older. He was her rock. And she would do everything in her power to keep it that way.

Later that night, Cameron had to say his goodbyes as he set back off to England the next day. She bid him off with a smile instead of a frown, taking him up on his promise of camming with her when he had the time. He then told her that he expected her to practice her archery in his absence, which she jokingly put that she would move slowly in baby steps to progress.

It was enough for him.

When he was finally gone, Selene felt the fatigue hit her like a bag of bricks and she decided to go to sleep before she fell flat on her face. She did her usual routine of braiding her hair back and dressing in comfortable sleepwear before retiring to her heaven-sent bed.

As soon as her head hit the pillow, she blacked out into a dream-filled sleep.

As soon as she began to dream, her mind set her out on a platform of a landscape. Tall, cathedral like buildings were placed around her, buildings that appeared to be hundreds of years old. She stood on a balcony of one, looking out to see the huts and merchant stands placed around the city. Yep, this place was _old._ It already appeared that way without the dirty look and feel to it.

When she heard movement to the side of her, she turned her head to see a person standing out on a platform. The physique was definitely male, and he wore stark white robes with a red sash around his waist. She was appalled; how could he wear something so warm when it was this hot out? It also didn't help that he had various weapons strapped to his form, most likely weighing him down on his small wooden step. Her heart plummeted a bit. He could fall if he wasn't careful!

A bird passed her view, circling the tower around them as she stared at him. He didn't seem to notice her, only the bird as it screamed into the afternoon sky. She recognized that cry. It was an eagle.

She also noticed that the man was nearing the very end of the step, almost as if he wanted to jump off. That frightened her. He'd die! Was he insane?!

"Hey, what are you doing?!" she kept her voice down, but she couldn't keep the alarm from lacing it as she called to him. The man didn't say anything, but he _did_ turn to look at her. His face had been covered by his hood, but she could see the faint trace of a strong, stubbled jaw and full lips that harbored a vertical scar on them. That didn't catch her like his eyes though. His eyes were a shocking gold, glinting dangerously in the light while the rest of him was shadowed like a ghost.

She mentally punched herself in fear of voicing her appreciation of the man's attractiveness. Now was not the time, he was beginning to scare her with his fierce look and tense body. He was going to jump.

 _Oh, hell. Twelve years old and I'm thinking of a man that's probably twice my age. What's wrong with me?!_

"Look, I know times can be tough…" she began warily, watching him and preparing herself to somehow catch his arm if he tried anything. "But you don't have to do this to yourself. Just, come down. It will be okay."

 _God, I can't believe I'm giving someone suicide talk! This is crazy!_

He still didn't say anything. Instead, his lips twitched the slightest bit, imitating a small smirk that only irked her. Why was he amused?! This meant certain death for him if he jumped!

The eagle in the sky gave its shrill cry again. The man turned towards it, watching it drift farther away from the tower before looking down.

And then, he jumped.

.

.

.

Selene jolted awake in her bed, clutching her chest as she tried to regain her breath. The dream had felt so real. In fact, it felt too real. Like she had traveled back in time to witness a man's death for a short while in the blazing heat. It unnerved her to no end.

But still, she could remember the piercing gaze of the stranger's eyes and that small smirk he had given her before he jumped. His arms were spread wide, like a pair of wings preparing for flight as he leaped off of the step and plummeted down from there.

He appeared to be so brave. Why wasn't he afraid of his demise? Of his death? She knew she would have been.

The morning sun poked through her window, the rays shifting over her bedspread and floors in an orange-red color. It was beautiful, a better outcome to yesterday's rain. She noticed that her canvas was still next to the window, perfectly blank and waiting for her to begin another masterpiece on.

She stood up, bedhead and all, and slumped over to the chair in front of it and sat down. Yes. This time she had her motivation. So she began with simple pencil strokes, adding harshness in certain places while adding light curves in others.

She didn't stop until she was completely done.

After she had finished her drawing, she decided to start painting the next day. It was already midday, and she had yet to eat something and clean herself up. Standing from her seat and arching her back into a much needed stretch, she threw a small sheet over the canvas and headed towards her bathroom for a desired shower.

She didn't know that once she was out of sight, the sheet slipped off of the drawing, forgotten on the floor. The form of the man in her dream looked out into the desert city, his proud form raised high onto the step as the very same eagle circled his tower. Both from different worlds, but under the same sky.

 **(~0~)**

 **A/N: Did you like it? Please review and follow if you did. It gives me motivation to continue!**

 **I'm happy that a few people have already favorited and followed! I didn't expect it at all, especially when hardly anyone writes an Altair fanfiction anymore. I started with Altair and I would end with Altair. Guess I'm too much of a fangirl (;**

 **Again, I hoped you all enjoyed. See you in the next one!**

 **~M**


	3. An Unexpected Discovery

**A/N: Hello!**

 **So yes, there will be yet another time skip in this chapter and it will be a long one. I really want to get to the AU part but there is still a large quantity of space I need to get all of the information down. So this will more than likely be a long filler.**

 **Enjoy!~**

 **(~0~)**

 **Eight Years Later**

"So. Now you're just as good at this as you are at painting. Feel empowered yet?"

"I felt empowered the first time I shot an arrow."

"Why does that not surprise me?"

Selene chuckled, raising the bow and shooting another arrow off at the target. It hit dead center, and the brunette expected nothing less. She had been practicing since she was twelve. At first, it had felt strange to do something so different from her usual _'stay-in-the-house'_ routine, but along the way it had started to become as natural as breathing to her.

"Maybe because that's how I always am?"

Her friend shook his head, letting out a sigh. "Now that you mention it, I can't remember a time where you _didn't_ act like that upon learning something new."

"Now you're catching on."

Cameron continued to watch her spout off arrows, hitting multiple targets around the area. She had already filled all of the targets, now choosing random places to hit like the branches on trees or posts from the stable fences.

He was glad that he showed her the skill, especially since some of her talents were wasted when she was kept inside for most of her life. Archery had brought a type of free feeling for Cameron when he had felt the same, so likewise it would do just that for her. Even so, he hadn't expected her to choose it mostly over painting. It was both surprising and exciting.

"So," he leaned against one of the trees, watching her carefully when she lowered her bow and wiped her brow of sweat. Tresses of her russet-brown laid against her forehead, the damp strands darker than the rest of her head. "How's the college life treating you?"

"Pretty well, actually." She replied lightly, smiling at him and sitting at the base of a tree across from him. "I still can't believe it's been two years already."

Going to college out of state had not been something that Selene thought she would be doing. Of course, this was what her parents and tutors had prepared her for. In the end, it was her choice where she wanted to go. So she decided to make her parents proud by attending Harvard. She had been accepted with flying colors, not on a scholarship like she had wanted but due to who her parents were it hadn't been much of an issue. She almost wished Cameron had went there so they would have been closer to each other, but that didn't matter. He had already graduated, leading him to become his father's successor and come back home to Minnesota.

That also meant more time with his best friend. So long as he didn't procrastinate on his work.

"And _I_ still can't believe that you came home for Spring break," he joked, sending her a knowing grin. "Instead of going out and enjoying life away from home, you come back running with pure intentions."

"Is that a bad thing?" she rose her eyebrows.

"Of course not!" he said quickly, waving his hands in front of him. "It's just that I expected you to go out and live a little. Party with your friends, have a drink or two. You know, the usual stuff that someone in college does."

That made her release a bark of laughter. " _What?!"_ she held her stomach while trying to catch her breath. She couldn't believe that he suggested she do something like that. The thought was absurd, especially since she was raised to be a polite and respectful young lady. Something like partying would make her feel uncomfortable. "You know as well as I do that I _don't_ 'party'. Even if my friends were like that, I wouldn't join them." She wiped a stray crocodile tear from her eye. "And what are you thinking?! I'm not even twenty-one yet!"

"You're not that far away from it, you're twenty already!" he replied hotly, giving a small pout. Selene only shook her head. He was twenty-five years old and yet he _still_ acted like the thirteen-year-old boy she had first met. Not that she minded. She didn't want him to change.

"Twenty and living life comfortably." She corrected him, collecting her bow and standing up. She went over to him, grabbing his arm and pulling him up despite his protests. "Hush. I'm thirsty and I want to go watch a movie. _You're_ coming with me."

"Yes, your highness." He snorted sarcastically, taking the lead and pulling her along. "It is my duty as your valiant knight to escort you to your prideful domain."

"Now you're just being ridiculous."

"You love it, don't kid yourself."

"Don't make me shove an arrow down your throat."

 **(~0~)**

"What's that?"

Selene jumped in her chair, almost knocking her paints over in the process. She had almost forgotten that Cameron decided to stay with her for the remainder of Spring break. Her parents had teased her endlessly about it, suggesting that her and Cameron had finally gotten together and could hardly stay away from each other. That, of course, had made her choke on her own spit and snap that they were only friends and that was the way that it was going to stay.

"Jesus! Don't sneak up on me like that, at least knock first!" she snarled, picking up a random paintbrush and throwing it at his form. He dodged it easily, mouth open and unable to form words. "Don't look like that. What if I had been changing?!"

He glared, picking up the paintbrush and twirling it between his fingers. He was the picture of carefree. "Oh please. I could hear you humming to yourself." He waved with the paintbrush, coming over to her and placing it down on her beige vanity. Most of her furniture had been replaced with more elegant items, but some of it was also missing due to her not living at home anymore. Most of her things were back home at Harvard. "You only hum that tune when you're painting."

That shocked her. How had he known? "You're rather perceptive." How had he known that she sang a certain tune when she painted? Most people would think nothing of something like that. The simple notion had shook her a little bit.

"I'm perceptive when it comes to you."

"How flattering."

"It's true." He shrugged his shoulders, leaning over her shoulder to look at the painting.

"I'm just doing some touch-ups on this one, I'm not really painting." Selene answered his question without even asking, dipping into the bold red acrylic paint and reaching up to paint over the color that had faded over time. "I did this a long time ago. I guess I just wanted to give it more love considering it's one of my favorites."

"It's a nice painting." He agreed with her, taking in the man's form that looked out over a vast city. "Who did you decide to—"

The realization of just _who_ the man was hit him like a ton of bricks.

 _That's not possible. There's no way she's seen him before! He's not even alive!_

"What's wrong?" Selene interrupted his frantic thought process, nudging him a bit to get his attention. "Why'd you stop?"

"I-It's nothing." He stuttered, patting her back awkwardly as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing.

There was no explanation as to how she knew the man in her painting. She seemed oblivious to who he was, so where had this come from? Cameron tried not to pale. He couldn't let anyone else see this. How she had managed to hide this from everyone was beyond him, but she was obviously not against showing people when they wanted to see it. That could lead to serious problems that would follow her wherever she went.

"I saw him in a dream."

Her voice made him flinch. She saw right through him, again.

Selene only smiled, running her hand over the side of the painting lovingly. "At the time, everything had felt so real. The heat of the sun on my skin, the eagle flying in the distance, the tower…" she trailed off, closing her eyes in remembrance. "And when he turned to look at me, I couldn't help but feel like I knew him. Of course I couldn't remember where I had seen him, but he did seem familiar. And then he jumped, which scared the hell out of me. I tried reasoning with him not to, isn't that strange?" she laughed half-heartedly.

"I told him that he didn't have to make that decision to jump. To kill himself. But he just…smiled at me, like I was funny or something. And then he jumped. That's when I woke up." She stood to her feet, picking up the canvas stand and placing it near the window so the sun could help it dry.

Cameron was confused. For her to have a dream about someone like him was a complete mystery. He supposed that this was a sign that she was a part of the order somehow. But he wouldn't know unless he asked someone of higher rank. Somehow who knew all about _them._ It made sense. She was born without a name to identify her and no family besides the Grieves. It was strange all on its own.

"Listen to me." Cameron stood in front of her, grasping her shoulders firmly and looking into her sea-foam eyes. "Do not show this to anyone else. I want you to hide this from view. Don't even let your parents see it, understand?"

Selene blanched. Why was he telling her this? It was just a painting of her dream. It was complete fiction. The man was complete fiction. So why?

"Why? What's wrong?" she asked worriedly. Her friend only rubbed her shoulders to comfort her, shaking his head lightly.

"Just promise me that you won't."

"Okay, okay. I promise. But why?" she asked again, this time more forcefully. If he didn't have a reason for her to keep it hidden, then she would most likely not do as he asked. The request was already strange at is was.

"There's something I have to look into first. After I'm done, I promise I'll tell you why. Just do as I ask for now. Please."

He was being sincere in his begging. Whatever was bothering him must have been serious for him to ask her that, so she nodded her head and didn't ask any more questions. He had her trust, he always would. So she decided to trust him.

Cameron smiled. "Thank you. I'm going to take off for a little while, I should be back later tonight." He hugged her to him gently, his voice muffled in her hair. "Remember what I said."

And with that, he left.

 **(~0~)**

Upon his arrival at his father's company, many of his coworkers had met his eyes with looks of confusion and curiosity.

Those with the insignia tattooed somewhere on their body were the only ones who could see that he was in his robes rather than a well-fitted suit. He was not here to work above ground in the office. He was here for the work that happened below ground.

His father was expecting him, so he made haste to the elevator and made sure that no one was looking in on him before pressing for six floors simultaneously, the action opening a hatch with the Auditore family crest inside. He then pressed his hand to the crest, letting the scanner identify his printing. Once it had scanned his hand and deemed him authentic, the hatch closed with the elevator doors following suit.

He then plummeted down.

Despite how deep into the ground the facility was, it only took a few seconds for the doors to open up to all new surroundings. Both men and women alike were sprawled about, making conversation and laughing together. The underground fortress was gigantic; inspired by the Syrian version created before their time.

Cameron walked out of the elevator, trudging down the dimly lit halls and exchanging greetings with his brothers and sisters of the order when they called to him. He quickened his pace, heading towards the end of the hall to the council room. His father and others were currently inside, waiting for him.

He made it to the double doors, knocking and hearing a faint 'come in' before entering quietly. "Excuse me." His gaze landed on the circular table centered in the middle of the room, his father standing next to the bookshelf while two others sat next to each other, going over what looked to be documents.

"Glad you could make it." His father turned to him with an amused smile, making his way over to the table with the other members. He set down the book in his hands onto the polished wood, the gesture making Cameron look down at the title: Items of Eden.

"I'm sorry for coming so suddenly." He apologized, bowing his head to the three. One of the others, a woman, shook her head.

"There's no need to apologize, dear." She thought nothing of his abrupt call to order, looking to her right at his father. "Sabil. You have not told us what your son wishes to discuss yet, so now would be a good time."

"Agreed. What is his reason for being here?" the other man in the room asked, his tone betraying the look on his face. Sabil motioned for his son to sit down, and Cameron obeyed. He opened the book and turned twenty pages in.

"I am not sure myself." His father commented, his eyes skimming the words on the page before him. He looked up at his son. "All I understand is that this is an urgent matter?"

"Yes."

"Then please, go on."

Cameron paused. This was a matter that he only wanted to speak to his father about, at least for the time being. He wasn't sure what the others would think of Selene had he accidently said something wrong. These two were known to be brash to outsiders, and despite her ties to his family, she was no exception. But his father was the grand master, and he understood Cameron like no one else.

"Lilith, Dane. You will have to excuse me but I wish to speak to my father on this matter first." He bowed his head respectively, knowing that they both shot him insulted glances. "Alone."

Dane, on the other hand, was angrier then he thought when he growled lowly and glared at him. "I don't think so, boy. Whatever is so important that—"

Lilith placed her hand on his shoulder, silencing any further words from him and shaking her head. She trusted Cameron more then she let on and this was only proving the fact. She ignored Dane's frustration and looked bat at the ravenette. "Very well. We will leave you be for the time being, but we do not want to be kept in the dark for long." She stood, waiting for her comrade to follow her patiently. Said man softened his expression, sighing almost petulantly and stomping towards the exit with Lilith in tow.

Once they heard the soft click of the door, Cameron exhaled. "I thought they wouldn't be here when I first arrived."

"Had I known what we were speaking of, I would have sent them away myself. But I have no clue as to what you want to tell me, so the thought was lost on me." Sabil replied, voice laced with irritation. "Will you speak now?"

"Yes, I'm sorry." Cameron apologized, lacing his hands together in front of him. "Before I continue, will you please keep an open mind?"

"Of course." His father said without hesitation. That made him smile. _Good._

"Earlier today, I was with Selene when she was fixing up a painting of hers. At first, I thought nothing of it. It was a job well done, like always, but then I noticed something alarming."

Sabil raised an eyebrow in question, his attention now pulled away from his book. "What?"

"She painted a man." Cameron continued, his voice lowering almost to a whisper. "I couldn't believe my eyes—"

"—And what, pray tell, is so alarming about painting a simple man?" His father sent him a puzzled expression. After a few seconds, realization dawned on him and he laughed. "Oh, my boy. Are you jealous of a painting? I'm sure that it's no one important—"

"You're not listening to me, dad!" Cameron shouted, slamming his hand on the table. He wasn't trying to make jokes, why wouldn't he take him seriously? This was not a laughing matter!

"Do _not_ take that tone with me!" his father snapped back, not at all fazed by his outburst. More often than not, his son had always butt heads with him when it came to Selene. Whether it was when he was being teased or being ordered, he refused to stay silent and follow like a meek lamb. It was what made him who he was. "I refuse to sit here and listen to your ridiculous bout of jealousy—"

"She was painting Altair."

Sabil's jaw snapped shut at this. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to find words to speak. Was his son spouting nonsense? Sabil tried to find any indication that he was jesting but could find none in his hazel depths. "You…" he started carefully, his throat suddenly dry. "You are sure of this?"

"I have no doubt in my mind that it was him." Cameron said surely, gravely. Sabil nodded, trying to piece things together.

"Does she know who he is?"

"She said she had no clue, but she felt like she knew him. She saw him in a dream, apparently. She even claimed to interact with him."

"This could prove to be a troublesome matter." His father sighed, rubbing his stubbled chin. At times like this, he felt so much older than he was. Being a grand master was not an easy task, and he did his best to not let his stress overcome him. "Have her parents seen it?"

"She said the only person to see it was me. I told her to hide it and to not let anyone else see it."

"Good." Sabil nodded his head at his son's quick thinking. "I trust her parents, really I do. But if they were to see this I don't know who they would tell. She wasn't born into the order, so most would not take kindly to this."

Cameron nodded, agreeing. "It doesn't make sense for her to just dream of him randomly. She was an orphan, dad. What if she really _is_ a child of the order?"

"I would have to see for myself. If she is one of us, then she has a right to know of her heritage. To know if she is the daughter of an Assassin."

The thought disturbed Cameron a bit. If Selene really _was_ an Assassin by birthright, then she would be under the protection of the order and would be asked to either live with them, marry an Assassin or become one. The first two choices could prove to be dangerous to her and the third was completely out of the question. Selene was too sweet, too caring to become a killer like him and his family.

"Cameron." His father called to him, making the man look up from his hands. "On the day that you two were introduced, were you wearing the ring?"

"The…ring?" he questioned, more himself than his father. "I don't see what that has to do with—"

"It's a Piece of Eden, son." He cut him off, giving him a stern look. "You could have projected a vision to her by accident, thus incurring a dream such as the one with Altair in it."

"Perhaps. But even so, I wasn't wearing it when she had he dream. So that part is out."

"Then there's no mistaking it. She must be a child of the order."

"Not only that, she has the skills of an Assassin. I taught her archery when she was younger and she's quite good at it. Maybe even better than me. I haven't seen her miss since the first time she started."

"The blood in her is strong, then."

"Even so, she shouldn't become an Assassin, dad."

"And why ever not?" Sabil asked, picking up where he left off in his book and multitasking as best as he could. "She would be a promising addition. In fact, we could most likely use a Piece of Eden to find out who her birth parents are. I think she would be delighted to know."

"I don't think we should tell her anything."

His son's words shocked him into sudden silence. "Why would you suggest that?"

"I have heard a wide range of gossip about Templar suspicion with her family." Cameron muttered, not too keen on the idea in the first place. He didn't want his little Selene to be corrupted by their ways or the Templars. "If they find out that she's an Assassin, it won't just be her parents that they're after."

Sabil clenched his teeth, standing and walking over to stand next to his son. He placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it in a comforting gesture. "I understand you care for her well-being." He said gently. No one cared more for that girl than his own son. Even he himself cared for her, hell, their whole family did. But if the gods wished for her to become inducted into the order, then there was nothing that they could do. "I want you to keep a close eye on her for now. I will do as best as I can to keep this to myself. I'll have to debrief Lilith and Dane, but I will keep the information minimal. As for Selene, I will leave it to you to decide whether or not you want to tell her the truth of who she is. Just know that you can't hide things from her forever, Cameron."

"Yes, dad."

 **(~0~)**

Selene was waiting for him when he returned to the house.

As he waddled inside the living room, she could see how exhausted he looked. His eyes were bloodshot, his form hunched over the slightest bit indicating that he was ready to keel over and sleep.

When Cameron saw her reclining on the couch, his eyes widened in surprise. "You're up late." He commented tiredly. His eyes flickered over to the television mounted on the wall. It was turned off. "What are you even doing?"

"I've been waiting for you." She replied matter-of-factly, a smirk kicking up on her lips. "But I can see that my efforts were wasted. You're way too tired to tell me anything right now, so head to bed. We'll talk about this in the morning."

"I can handle it." He defended himself, straightening up. "I've just got a lot on my mind, that's all. Besides, I don't think I should wait to tell you what I know."

"It's nearly one a.m., Cameron."

"So? Are _you_ tired?"

"Not at all."

"Then scoot over before I sit on your legs and crush you."

"Fine, fine."

She lifted her legs, bringing them to her chest and watching as he slumped down on the couch next to her, trying to conceal any fatigue from his features. It didn't work, though. She knew how tired he really was.

"Before I start," he placed both of his arms on the top of the couch, extending them outwards. "You have to promise to keep an open mind and to try and not interrupt me. What I'm about to tell you will most likely be very alarming to you, so I just want to give you a heads up." He finished with the words that he told his father earlier. If she didn't keep an open mind, then she wouldn't be able to handle it the way he wanted her to. He knew she was smart and calm enough to understand even the worst of situations, but regarding her life was where the line stopped.

He had to tread carefully.

"Got it." She replied without hesitation, giving him a firm nod. Good, her resolve was stronger than he thought then.

He mirrored her gesture, rolling his shoulders and taking a breath before continuing. "I knew the man in your painting, Selene. In fact, I believe I know of him _and_ the setting around him." He shot her a look when she opened her mouth to cut him off. That wasn't even the worst part, she couldn't interrupt him yet. "His name was Altair. He was an Assassin back in the 1190's and apart of the Levantine order of Assassins. Oh, and just to dim your worry a little; he wasn't jumping to his death, he was more than likely taking what the Assassins call a 'Leap of Faith.' It's only used in extreme situations when you want to return to the ground quicker or when you want to escape enemies."

He paused for a second, this time giving her a chance to speak. He wasn't done talking—he still had to tell her of her own origins, in fact—but he wanted to see how she was coming along. Had she believed him to be lying or telling her fairy tales? He hoped not.

"You speak of this as if you know what it's like to be an Assassin."

Her words startled him into a prolonged silence. This is where things would become a bit risky if he said the wrong thing. He quickly prayed to whatever god there was that she would not spite him out of anger or confusion, schooling his features and looking into her teal orbs.

"That's because I _am_ an Assassin, Selene." He said with a strong voice, watching her carefully and waiting for her to unleash her wrath that he knew she was hiding. "So are my parents. My dad is what we call a 'Grand Master', someone who leads the order."

He continued to watch her. Her expression hadn't changed from the moment he had started speaking, so it worried him a little when it still hadn't shifted.

For a few seconds, the two just stared at each other. Cameron wished that she would do _something_ —laugh, cry, snap at him, anything that contained emotion. He didn't want this blank expression of hers anymore.

Suddenly, her eyes flashed. That piqued his interest a bit. "Selene?" his voice was hesitant as he called to her, like he was trying to console a frightened rabbit when she was anything but. "Say something. Anything."

"I…" she spoke up finally, her voice no louder than a whisper. "All this time…seeing how smart you where…how aware you are of your surroundings and how silent your footsteps are around other people…even your use of the bow is too advanced…how did I not know, all this time? And…" she trailed off, her complexion paling with a barrage of horrific thoughts of him. "You…you _kill_ people, don't you?"

Cameron's throat went dry. He hadn't expected her to ask him that, especially so soon into the conversation. He had wanted to keep his profession on the down-low, but that had exploded in his face when he confirmed her suspicions of him. _Idiot!_ He scolded himself.

"Only terrible people, I promise. Meaning murderers, gangsters, and the like. People who want to commit bad deeds in this world and make it harder for others to enjoy living comfortably."

Selene felt sick. She could feel the bile slowly rising from her stomach, nearly causing her to vomit on her mother's white carpet. She held it in, more for the sake of the maids then hers. "Oh my god, please tell me you're lying. You can't kill people, y-you just can't!" she cried, pushing herself into the far end of the couch. She suddenly felt afraid. Very, _very_ afraid of the man in front of her. He now felt like more of a stranger to her, someone who she didn't know. Someone who was capable of killing her however and whenever he wanted to.

"Selene…I'm not lying. I was born an Assassin. There's nothing I can do to change the fact that I have to kill for the brotherhood." He said sadly, knowing he was making it worse but he couldn't help himself. Part of him harbored a sick feeling of glee, due to the fact that he could get all of the things that were bothering him off of his shoulders. He didn't have to hide who he was anymore.

If only his best friend would understand.

"As long as you have control of your own body and actions you don't have to kill anyone!" she snapped tartly, shooting up from the couch and pinning him with a fierce glare. He would be dead a thousand times over if looks could kill. "I'm not even worried about the Altair guy anymore. This is just…this is too much."

"Please, Selene." Cameron begged, resisting the urge to get on his knees and plead for her forgiveness. "I don't do this because I want to. It has to be done, and if I don't do it then innocent people, like yourself, will die."

"What? So you're like involved with the cops then? Do they know that you're doing this?"

 _I don't like where this is going._

"I guess you could say that…but not entirely."

"What do you mean, 'not entirely'?!" she spat, looking anywhere but him as she started to pace the floor in front of the couch. "Oh god, my best friend is a murderer. Oh god, oh god…I think I'm going to be sick."

"Had I known you were going to react like this I probably wouldn't have told you!" he barked angrily, trying to contain the hurt he was feeling. He didn't want to scare her more than he already had. Fortunately, she acted out of frustration rather than fear and snarled at him.

"Then why _did_ you tell me, huh? Why not just keep on lying? It seems to save your ass more often than not!"

" _For fuck's sake, I did it to protect you!"_

Selene halted her steps, looking down at him. Not only was she dumbfounded because of his sudden profanity, but she couldn't believe that he was doing this to protect her. In fact, it seemed like he was doing it more to protect himself.

"Protect me? Protect me how?"

The ravenette's shoulders dropped and he released a heavy sigh, the conversation making his fatigue worse than it already was. He did his best to keep his mind in the moment. "I'm not the only one who was born into the Assassin's order, Selene." He paused, placing his face into his hands. He didn't even want to see her expression when he told her this. "You were too."

.

.

.

It was so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop down the street. Save for the fire that was crackling bit by bit in the fireplace opposite of them.

Selene couldn't believe her ears. Was she even listening anymore? Could she even hear correctly anymore? She doubted it. He had to be spouting more lies. None of this could be true.

Or was she just being naïve? To fickle-minded to comprehend it all?

"You're lying again." She whispered, eyes casted downward. "You have to be."

Cameron watched her as she hugged herself, slowly sitting back down on the couch and tucking her body into itself. If he felt guilty before, he felt even more so now. He didn't want to hurt her with the truth. Really, he didn't. But if he prolonged his secrets any longer he felt that he would never gain her full trust.

"I'm not lying to you. Everything I have said so far is true, Selene. I've decided that I will not keep any more secrets from you. You deserve to know who I am and who you were born to be." He paused, running a hand through his fringe frustratingly. "You also have to know that it's impossible for someone not of the brotherhood to know who Altair is, much less dream of him like you had."

"Maybe it was just a coincidence." She tried making an excuse, biting her lip. "I had no idea who he was in the first place."

"But you did say you felt like you knew him. That's because you have the pull of an Assassin. Like knows like. It's unmistakable. Impossible to miss."

"My god…" she said under her breath. Selene was dumbfounded at the revelation. He said it with such honesty, such sadness because of her anger. She began to realize now that he really wasn't lying to her. What reason did he have to lie to her anymore? No one would come out and lie about killing someone. If they had, they would be deemed as severely sick. Cameron wasn't a sick person. He always did things that held a certain meaning and he wouldn't take anything for granted once fulfilled.

She was certainly appalled by his claim of her being born into the Assassins' order, though. Was it really true? She knew that she had no documented life before the orphanage, so it was definitely a possibility. At this point, she would try to believe anything within reason. But this was almost out of proportion for her.

"I can't kill people, Cameron. I don't think I could stomach even the thought of doing something so horrible to another human being." She said brokenly, looking at him with fear-filled eyes. Cameron's expression softened a bit and he pulled her to his side, rubbing her arm soothingly.

"You don't have to do anything like that. I promise." He hushed her, squeezing her shoulder. "I wanted to let you know of your origins to protect you. You can live your life just like you normally do, but you'll have the order's protection added to it."

"Why would I need protection? I'm just as safe as the next person." She leaned against his shoulder, noticing how stiff it became when she asked. She tried to ignore it.

"You may think you are, but you and your family have been protected by us for years. That's why you've never encountered anything remotely dangerous."

"What do you mean?" she asked, leaning up and tilting her head slightly. Her father was a senator so there was always the possible threat of terrorists or those who wanted to conspire against him. But why would they need the extra protection from the Assassins?

"These men, the men who we go after…" his jaw tensed and he made a face as if smelling something foul. "They're called Templars. They're a cruel organization that strives for power and influence over most of the world and they'll do whatever it takes to make that happen. That's why we stop them. You know the company Abstergo?"

"I'd be an idiot if I didn't." she replied. "They're the company that helped in the rise of technology and entertainment. One of the largest companies in the world."

"Right and wrong." Cameron leaned back against the couch, thumbing the ring on his finger. "Right because they are, indeed, one of the largest companies in the world. Wrong because their view of 'human development' is completely different. They only do what they do for personal gain and they couldn't care less who gets thrown under the bus in the process."

"That's horrible. Why would they do such a thing?" Selene asked in disgust. The way that Cameron described them had struck a chord in her. These were the type of people that she truly hated.

"Because they're Templars. That's what they do. They've been doing it for over a millennia and they will continue to. Luckily, we don't make it easy for them. More often than not the Assassins stop their operations, which saves a lot of people's lives."

Selene didn't speak. The more that she understood him, the more she felt guilty for berating him. She couldn't help the way she acted, she had been frightened of him and his secrets and her first response was to deny it.

"I'm sorry."

Cameron rose an ebony brow at her sudden apology. "For what?"

"For not believing you. And for calling you a murderer. That was low of me, especially when you were trying to help me."

"You couldn't help that. I would have acted the same way had someone just up and told me something like this." He pat her shoulder lightly. "Don't sweat it."

She nodded, hoping that all was well because she didn't want to dwell on the past. She was more focused on learning about who was after her and her family. "So the Templars want my father, right? For what?"

"Your father is someone important to this country. Someone who has a lot of influence." He began, listing things that her father was capable of. "Abstergo wants that. If they can manipulate the government then they can have the whole world on their knees. Your father would be a start. And what better way to snag his attention than using his only daughter as bait?"

He made a good point. Although, she hated the thought of being used for someone else's greed and she definitely didn't want to be the cause of the countries' possible downfall. Her gaze hardened, her nails digging into her skin as she gripped her arms tightly.

"That's not going to happen. I'd sooner run them through with an arrow than let that happen to him."

"Smart choice." He said proudly. "I know you wouldn't. You're too strong-willed to let someone else control you."

Cameron turned to look at the grandfather clock pressed against the wall. "Tomorrow, I'll take you to see my dad. He can explain this better than I can."

"You're going to take me to the order's place?" she asked in surprise, her eyes widening. Well, that was certainly unexpected.

"Yes. You need to know just what you're getting into." He then stood up, stretching his arms out over his head and letting out a deep yawn. "It would be best if you get some rest while you still can. I'm probably going to be called in tomorrow and when you come with me there will be a lot of questions, so we'll be there for a while."

The brunette stood, grimacing a little at the strain in her back. She turned to the side and popped her stiff spine, wincing at the sound it gave off. She still wanted to know more, but this would have to do for now.

Even so, she had to think of how to stop these men from using her father and potentially ruining her life in the process.

"You go ahead." She decided, heading towards the sliding glass door to the backyard. She flicked the porch light on, looking over her shoulder at her exhausted best friend. She chuckled at the way he was trying to keep his eyes open. "I've got some thinking to do."

"You sure?" Cameron asked hesitantly, eyeing her form. She wasn't dying from fatigue, but she was tired. "We're probably going to be leaving really early. I don't want you to be tired when we go."

"I'll be fine." She assured him, waving him off in the direction of the guest room. "Just go. I really need to think about this and clear my head. Decide what I'm going to say when I see your father."

He sighed. There was no getting through to her, was there? She really was stubborn. "All right. I'll see you in the morning." He waved a hand in goodbye, trudging out of the room and out of her sight.

Selene shook her head in amusement and headed down to the stables to retrieve her bow. What better way to think things through then thinking while shooting? At least she would be able to blow off some steam.

 _I could always picture the targets to be Abstergo's lackies. Rather aggressive thought, but who am I kidding?_

 **(~0~)**

Come morning, Selene was still letting off arrow after arrow and piercing her targets.

Cameron had gone looking for her around the manor when he saw that she wasn't in her room, sleeping like she was supposed to be doing. The sheepish look on her face when he spotted her in the backyard had told him everything he wanted to know.

Instead of scolding her, he only shook his head. He ushered her inside all the while telling her to look presentable but not overly so. He most likely wanted her to try to conceal who she was but still dress for the occasion.

Selene guessed that putting makeup on would change most of her features, but she would still be her, so she opted for a tan-colored jacket that she brought from back home in Massachusetts, a warm pair of dark jeans and black combat boots. Most likely it would snow soon, so she wanted to be prepared for the onslaught of cold weather.

Pulling the hood over her head, she made her way out of the manor and smirked when she saw Cameron waiting for her with their driver for the day. He had dressed in a formal suit that was customary apparel for his company, save for the tie that was missing from around his neck.

The driver opened the door for them, giving Selene a nod and a small smile like the first time he had met her when she was a little girl. She was glad that he stayed with them throughout the years, being one of their most trusted workers.

"Thanks, Voss." She thanked the man, sitting down next to Cameron and watching as her driver shut the door behind them.

"Anytime, Miss."

They pulled out onto the open road, heading towards the freeway to shorten the distance to the company building.

During the drive, Cameron sat quietly and fiddled with his ring absentmindedly. Selene watched him as he did so, admiring the beautiful piece from her window seat. It was a platinum silver that had light gold grooves imbedded in the band. A sapphire-cut orb sat clean in the center, its shine blending perfectly with the outside. It was a magnificent ring.

"I don't think I've ever seen something so beautiful." She commented, making her friend peek up and grin at her with sparkling eyes.

"Thanks. My dad gave it to me a while back." He took it off, holding it out in front of her. "Take a closer look, but don't touch it."

"Why? It's not like it will burn me or something."

His face fell at her playful bantering. "Actually, it might. This is what the order likes to call a 'Piece of Eden'. It's capable of many things, most of which not even I know of. But I _do_ know that it takes a liking only to certain people, so it will in fact burn you if it doesn't accept you."

A magic piece? Did things get any weirder then that? Selene leaned her face as close as she could without getting burnt by the ring. When she focused, it looked like it contained thousands of iridescent waves moving throughout the grooves. Even being close to it was lulling her into some type of trance-like state. She quickly pulled away from it to prevent that from happening.

"I feel suffocated just by being near it." She drawled then, looking at the piece warily as he slipped it back onto his finger. Cameron chuckled at how cautious she was around it. She was right to be that way.

"It's a powerful object so I try to keep it close to me at all times. I'm really the only one who can control it in case its power gets out of hand."

"What can it do?"

"All I know is that it can manipulate the way you see things, give you the feel of an illusion. For instance, I'm not really wearing a suit right now. I'm wearing my Assassins' robes."

Selene suddenly tensed, like the word Assassin woke something within her. She realized that Voss could hear everything they were saying up to this point and that freaked her out a little bit. Wasn't this supposed to be a secret to outsiders?!

"Relax. Voss is an Assassin, Selene." Cameron reassured her as If he was reading her mind. Did the ring have the power of telepathy too? She wouldn't doubt it. Looking to the front of the car in dismay, she tapped Voss's seat.

"Seriously, Voss?"

"Sorry. I was under strict orders to never tell you anything." He apologized, thought it was halfhearted as he seemed more amused then he should have been. That made the brunette huff and lean back into her seat with crossed arms.

"It's fine. I'm just learning about all this now, anyway." She sighed, shaking her head. She watched as the car veered right, taking an exit onto a street that contained less vehicles on the road.

Streets like this made Selene feel odd. Why weren't there as many people out? Sure, it was early but usually that meant rush hour for the people trying to get to work. She wasn't familiar with the street or the shops lining it which furthered her awkwardness.

She took a look into the driver's side mirror, surprised to see that there were two cars that were very much like theirs trailing behind them. The image brought up red flags in her mind. They hadn't been there before, had they?

"Um, Voss?" she called hesitantly, trying to get the man to look back and identify the vehicles. That couldn't have been a coincidence that they were following every turn and stop they made.

Voss didn't answer, but instead looked in the rear view mirror at Cameron and met his eyes. They both had a silent conversation before nodding to each other which confused her even more. There was something they weren't telling her. Selene opened her mouth to make a comment.

Suddenly, the car lurched forward at a dangerous speed, throwing the brunette and her friend back into their seats and making her grip the handle of the door to steady herself. The cars behind them mimicked the action, picking up speed and heading right towards them.

"What the hell are you doing, Voss?!" she yelled in a frightened tone, holding on tightly and trying not to get thrown with every quick turn they made.

No answer.

"Voss, I swear to god—"

Selene screamed when the back windshield shattered, throwing pieces of glass and debris up to their seats and nicking the sides of her cheeks sharply. She felt a hand come down on her head, pushing it down to her knees at an uncomfortable angle.

"Keep your head down!" Cameron barked at her. She nodded furiously, putting her hands over her head to protect anything that came through the car. Someone must have been shooting at them because she could still hear gunshots ringing out around her, sending her heart into a frenzy.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of color light up the car before disseapearing as quickly as it came. She turned her head to see that Cameron was now holding a weapon of sorts, something that looked a lot like a bow but still different from the usual handheld weapon. Her thoughts clicked.

"Where in god's name did you get a crossbow?!" she screeched, baffled at the sudden appearance of the weapon. Her friend had his head bowed behind his seat, waiting shot after shot before reaching up and shooting off an iron bolt while Voss continued to skillfully weave through the dimmed traffic.

"Not now!" he groaned, flinching when the side of the headrest was shot clean off. Had his head been there, he would have been dead. "Voss! Take the paved route by the river! We can lose them through the forest."

"Yes, sir."

She couldn't understand how they could be so calm about this. Of course, they were Assassins so they probably did get involved in some type of fighting throughout their work lives. The girl prayed for their safety, keeping her head to her knees. The car swerved again, causing her to slam her head into the side door and making her cry out in pain. The impact had been so strong that she began to feel dizziness overcome her. _Stay awake, stay awake._ She chanted, groaning when a hot flash of pain went through her head.

A concussion was the least of her worries.

Without warning, a loud popping sound could be heard from the outside of the vehicle, causing it to tilt to one side and fishtail in a violent manner. Voss tried hard to gain control of the vehicle, steadying the steering wheel and slamming on the breaks before he could potentially drive into the river or hit a tree.

A few moments later, they stopped completely.

Selene let out a breath of relief.

And then sucked one right back in.

There were still people behind them that wanted to kill them. How were they going to escape now? Terror gripped her, and for the first time in her life, Selene wanted to sob. Were they going to kill her? Torture her? What did they want?!

"Everyone okay?" Voss asked, earning two yes' from the back seat. He leaned his head into the rest for a quick moment, nodding his head in relief. He then reached into the armrest, pulling out a pistol of his own and getting ready to open the car door.

That made Selene panic. "What are you—"

"Stay in here and don't move." Cameron interrupted her, gripping his crossbow tightly and looking out behind them. He instantly recognized the insignia on the sides of the vehicles a few yards away from them. They had stopped shooting, but the threat was still there.

"W-Who are they?" Selene dug her nails into the leather interior, already knowing the answer to her question. Cameron only did good to confirm it.

"Abstergo." He replied gravely, pulling his door open and shooting her a firm glare that had 'stay put' written all over it. "I don't want you coming out under any circumstances. If Voss or I get captured or injured, I want you to make a run for it through the brush. They can lose you if you run far enough. Follow the river down to the first building you see. That's a safe house for Assassins and there should be a Dai there ready to help you. Okay?"

He didn't wait for her to answer him. He slipped out of the vehicle, leaving his weapon behind in the process. She covered her mouth with her hands. How would he protect himself if he left that behind? She bit her lip and nodded resolutely. No. She would not let him or Voss get injured for her sake.

Although she had no experience with using a crossbow, that didn't mean she couldn't improvise and treat it as if it were her bow. She still knew how to aim, bow or not. Keeping herself out of view, she scooted over to Cameron's side and grabbed the crossbow, edging over to peek out of the vehicle. Luckily, no one appeared to be looking in her direction, only at Cameron and Voss.

She was frightened to see at least six men aiming guns at her friend and driver, all except for two that seemed to be dressed in nothing but crisp suits. The leaders of the group, it seemed. The duo from her side were submerged into conversation with the other two, clear hostility rising from both ends as they argued. She could hardly hear what they were saying, each word harder than the other to pick out. Wishing she had been closer, she cupped the side of her ear in hopes of enhancing her hearing.

What happened next shocked her to her core.

Her vision suddenly went blue, highlighting the area around her like a color wheel. Her eyes widened when she saw that everything in the vicinity was either a dull bull or grey, except for the humans talking. The men from the Abstergo side were all highlighted a deep-red, the leaders a brilliant gold while Cameron and Voss were splattered with a vibrant blue color.

Her vision wasn't the only thing that appeared to be different. She could suddenly hear their conversation very clearly, as if standing right in the middle of it.

She was absolutely floored.

Looking back at the first time she used a bow, she remembered when she had the quick flash of something similar happening, but it was so quick that she really paid it no mind. But this sudden sense didn't seem to be going away, even if she willed it to. It stayed the way it way, allowing her a path to hear and to see abnormally.

 _Not now. I have to dwell on this later. Leave it alone for now._ She chided herself, ignoring her needs to understand just what was going on with her. Instead, she listened in.

"I don't think you heard me the first time, Mr. Firenze." One of the leaders snarled, a threat lingering in his tone. "We _know_ the girl is with you. It would do you no good to lie to us."

"Even if she was with us, I wouldn't tell you a damn thing." Cameron spat back, keeping his fists to his sides. A bump lined the back of his suit jacket, and Selene realized that it was a handgun. He must have swiped it when getting out of the car. Clever man. "I'm not going to let you carry out Vidic's will. Desmond should have killed you along with your father."

The mentioning of Vidic must have been a very sore spot for the man, because he ordered a main to step forward and aim his fun at the ravenette's legs. Before he could act, the lackey pulled the trigger, a bullet escaping his gun and impaling itself in Cameron's thigh and causing him to cry out.

That did it.

She would _not_ sit idly by and watch her friend be gunned down. These men were not taking the hint; she want not going with them and they were _not_ going to kill her friends. She saw that Voss moved in to help his prone form, receiving his own bullet to the chest and throwing him backwards into the pavement.

After that, he didn't move again.

Her vision returned to its normal state, shock most likely being the reason that it had done so.

" _Voss!"_ she cried out in horror, instantly sitting up and making to scramble out of the car. _Fuck this!_ She thought, pure fury rushing through her veins at the sight of her driver, her _friend_ lying motionless on the ground. They had shot him. They had killed him.

She aimed the crossbow at the men before her, not thinking about how reckless she was being as she barreled towards Cameron and made to stand in front of him. He had been clear that she had been protected by him for most of her life. It was her turn to reciprocate.

"I see that our efforts to lure you out weren't a waste, Miss Grieves." The man said proudly, a twisted grin set onto his lips. His blue eyes held a sort of sadistic glee that was aimed at her, causing her to growl at him and his words.

"Fuck you and your _efforts_." She spat coldly, the hackles on the back of her neck rising when her words seemed to anger the lot of them. Their feelings didn't matter. Cameron needed medical attention before he bled out and she would do everything in her power to stop these men. She briefly ran through the quickest scenarios of taking them out.

She finally understood what Cameron meant when he said that they were terrible people. She believed him wholeheartedly, placing her morals of never killing another aside for the moment.

If it came to it, she would have to kill somebody.

"Such a mouth on you. Don't you have any respect for your elders?" he clicked his tongue, eyes trailing over her form carelessly. They then landed on the crossbow in her hands, fully loaded and aiming at him specifically. "You're not going to use that, are you? You do realize that you are up against guns?"

"I don't give a damn." She replied tartly, her finger resting on the crossbow's trigger. God, she wanted to shoot him so badly. "I have _no_ respect for people who shoot and kill my friends. You bastard!"

"Selene…stop it." Cameron said weakly from the ground. He was clutching his thigh, trying to stifle the blood flow from it. He couldn't bare the thought of losing her because of his own stupidity. Not only would he be failing his mission, he'd be breaking his promise to her about protecting her. "Run while you still have a chance." He whispered the last part so only she could hear. That made her even angrier.

"I'm not leaving you." She protested hotly, shooting him a glare. The man sighed at their childishness in such a dire situation, straightening his suit out in irritation.

"How wrong you are, girl." He shook his head. "Should you refuse to come with us, I will not hesitate to kill your comrade. What will you do then? You really have no other choice. You're just going to have to accept that." He snapped his fingers, making two men stroll forward towards her in hopes of capturing her.

She had to think fast.

Wracking her brain for things to stall them was harder then she thought, but a lightbulb finally decided to turn on when she picked out something that would probably get them both killed but would work if she did this right.

"Hold on!" she put a hand out in front of her, stopping the two men from continuing forward. Even their leaders turned to look at each other in confusion. Selene cackled madly in her mind. _Perfect._ She took a deep breath, trying to school her features into something that looked like fear.

"If I promise to go with you…" she paused, thumbing her crossbow and lowering it the slightest bit. "You have to let me do something first."

"And what's that?" the Abstergo man asked flatly, clearly becoming annoyed with how much time she was taking from him. She kneeled slowly down to Cameron, hooking his arm around her shoulders and pulling him up with as much strength as she could. He was a lot taller than her, so it was difficult to support him with all the weight he was leaning on her. She ignored the guns pointed on them for a second, biting the inside of her cheek. _Pleasepleaseplease work…_

"I have a first-aid kit in the back of the car. Let me patch him up and I swear to you, I'll come with you." She promised, looking at the man with pleading teal eyes. She hoped it was authentic enough to sway him. "Please. Just let me help him and you can do whatever you want with me."

He still didn't seem convinced. "And how do I know that you're not lying?" he pointed out, gritting his teeth together impatiently. "For all I know, you could have a gun waiting in there for us. You could even drive off if you get the chance."

Selene could feel herself blanching. Was this guy for real? "You can't be serious." She hissed, waving her free hand around the area. "First of all, I pointed a _loaded_ crossbow at you which was my only protection until I dropped it. Not to mention, that was the only weapon we had with us. We weren't expecting to be ambushed and nearly killed on what was supposed to be a pleasant drive." She straightened her shoulders the slightest bit, sweat rolling down her back at the uncomfortable position. "You might as well kill me now if you're not going to let me do this. Because I'm not going with you until he has at least a band-aid on his wound."

Her words seemed to finally be getting through to him, because he placed a hand on his face and sighed loudly at her. Mumbling to himself under his breath, he threw the appendage out into the air and snapped. "Fine. But make it quick. I'll have two men behind you to make sure that you don't act out against us."

She nodded stiffly. That would have to do.

She slowly made her way to the car, purposely maintaining her speed to whisper into her friend's ear. She could hear the guards moving not far behind them like the man said they would. "On the count of three, you and I are going to make a run for the river. Take out these two behind you with your gun." She told him quietly, keeping eye contact on the foliage in front of them. The river wasn't at all far; in fact, she could see a glittering sheen peeking its way through the branches. They would have to be quick, but if they could swim away they would reduce their chances of being captured. She hated to leave Voss there—he deserved a proper burial—but there was nothing she could do about that. She couldn't carry two people, no matter how hard she tried.

"Can you make it to the river like this?" They were almost to the car now. They didn't have much time left, about ten seconds. She needed to time this perfectly.

Cameron barely nodded, putting weight on his bad leg and trying to see how he would fare if he ran. It hurt, but it wasn't anything he had dealt with before. He could bare it for the time being.

"On the count of three." She whispered, coming up at the bumper of the car. "One."

They passed the gas chamber, almost near the open door.

"Two."

They reached the door, pretending to look inside as she let go of him carefully. He would have to run on his own and gun them down at the same time. It wouldn't be easy, but it was the only way to escape. Selene wished there was another gun somewhere in the car, but there was no time to reach for one.

They had to go. Now.

"One."

As soon as she ended the countdown, Cameron moved with incredible speed, pulling out the gun in his back pocket and shooting both of their guards straight in their skulls. As soon as the second man fell, they took off in a full-out sprint towards the river, disappearing behind the trees.

Selene could hear the shouts of the men trailing not far behind them, the ricochet of bullets flying off trees around them not doing anything to deter her focus. Cameron was doing well off for someone who had just been shot, keeping up perfect pace with her and taking down one other man in his haste.

When they finally broke through the last of the foliage, the river came into view. It was just up ahead and wasn't so large that they would have a hard time swimming past it. She picked up her speed, her breath coming out in heavy puffs considering she was not used to running so fast.

"We're almost there!" she shouted over the sounds of the gunshots to her friend, getting ready to dive clear into the water. "Keep g—"

All of the weight she was carrying suddenly dropped as the floor went out from underneath her, sending her plummeting down a steep hill that did nothing to break her fall when she began to roll. She tucked into herself to protect her limbs from breaking, losing her breath each time she hit the dirt.

The bottom of the hill couldn't have come sooner as she finally stopped rolling, ending up on her back to look up at the sky, overcast with cloud coverage. She didn't waste time shooting up, ignoring the pain in her head and ankle as she looked around for Cameron.

Luckily, he hadn't been far from her. She raced over to him, watching as he leaned up and gripped his own leg. The same leg that had been shot. The hill had been quite the drop, at least fifteen feet, which was why it took some time getting down to the riverbank.

"My leg's broken." Cameron told her miserably, earning a terrified look from her. One that she had worn often that day.

Selene was at a loss. She hadn't planned for there to be a drop! Maybe a small hill or two, but certainly not a cliff! She shook her head, dragging him with all her might towards the water's edge. She refused to leave him there!

"I'll help you swim, just please get up! Put your weight on me like you did back there!" she begged him, shaking her head when he refused her. "I'd rather die than leave you here!"

"You can't help me, Selene. It's more important for you to get away." He hissed out when his leg hit a sharp rock protruding from the sand, causing him to recoil. He could hear the men approaching rapidly, and if she didn't leave without him now, they would fine them and they would kill them.

He wouldn't have that. He _refused_ to.

An idea raced through his head, one that didn't sit well with him, but not one that he fully rejected either. Pulling his arm from Selene's grasp, Cameron pulled the ring from his finger and willed it to activate. If what he read in the book about the pieces was true, she could escape with the ring elsewhere.

A quick prayer made the Piece of Eden illuminate the area around them, glowing vibrantly in his hand. It quickly started to warm up to an almost painful heat, taking that as a good sign as he threw it away from him. It ended up landing in the water in front of them.

The both of them watched in awe and fascination as the water separated from an invisible force, the spot being revealed also swirling in a clockwise pattern like a vortex. The vortex let off a bright-blue glow, expanding in length and beckoning the two of them in with its unmistakable power.

It took Cameron everything he had to turn to his childhood friend and give her the suggestion.

"You have to go."

Selene's eyes widened to the size of saucers. She rapidly shook her head, grabbing his arms and pulling him with her again. She wasn't about to listen to his demands if it meant leaving him behind. "No way! I already told you that I'm not going to leave you here!"

"The ring can only take one person with it, Selene. I can't move as it is and we don't have much time until the men are upon us." He grabbed her hands, gripping them tightly between his own. "Please. You've gotta go without me."

The brunette shook her head again, gripping his hands in return. She couldn't leave him to die at the hands of such horrible people. It was her fault that he had been shot and it was her fault that Voss had died. She didn't want to have to repeat herself. But clearly, she had to. "I'm not leaving you, Cameron!" she grit her teeth so hard she thought they'd break on her, tears finally spurring out of her ducts and blurring her vision. She gasped as small sobs erupted from her form, years of pent-up sadness and stress coming back to her as she let out anguished sounds. This was truly hell. Being forced to leave your only friend behind, losing him and another in the process…she knew she wouldn't be able to live without knowing he'd be alright. She couldn't.

"Oh, Selene…" Cameron watched her as she placed two scratched-up hands over her face, covering her face and muffling her cries as her shoulders shook jerkily. He felt his chest cave in at the sight of her crying. He had never seen her cry before, so he didn't know what to do other than hug her to him tightly. He wanted to truly comfort her; to truly help her to cease her crying, but this wasn't the time nor the place. Any minute now, the men would find them. And when that time came, she couldn't be there.

Pushing her away gently, he gripped her face in both of his palms and looked into the eyes of his sister-figure. He remembered the first time he met her all over again. How frightened she had been when he cleared his throat, how eager she was to please him with her paintings, and how happy she had been when they had become fast friends.

No. She wasn't his friend at all.

She was family. She was his sister.

And he would never forget her no matter what happened from there on.

"You'll always be my best friend. My sister, Selene. No matter what happens." He said truthfully, wiping her tears and tear trails away with his thumbs. "You can't worry about me anymore. Go." He placed his hands on her shoulders, rubbing them gently.

Selene wouldn't be Selene if she wasn't as stubborn as a mule. Of course, he knew she'd try to protest again, but he was well prepared for it.

He hoped she wouldn't hate him for doing this, but it had to be done.

"There they are!" he heard the voice of one of the men shout from above them, doing his best to not look up. "Hurry up! Get them!"

He took the final opportunity to act.

"Goodbye, Selene. Take care of yourself, wherever you go." With that, he pushed her with all of his might, sending her careening over the side of the water and straight into the vortex.

Selene didn't feel a thing when she tripped and fell into the portal-like obstacle that sucked her in without effort. The only thing that she could witness before drifting from reality entirely was the bullet that came clean through Cameron's shoulder, knocking him into the sand where he had fell.

Not even a scream could be emitted as she disappeared into the swirling abyss.

 **(~0~)**

 **For anyone that lives in Minnesota, I'm sorry if I somehow made you feel insulted. I have no idea what the states Geography contains because I've never been there. I just made their surroundings suitable for the scenes.**

 **Please tell me what you thought! I didn't expect for this chapter to be so long, but being a filler, I kind of went overboard with it. The next chapter will be AU and we will be picking up the story in the city of Damascus! I can't wait.**

 **Thank you for reading!~**

 **~M**


	4. Mistaken

**A/N: Hey guys!**

 **So I have to say I'm extremely happy with the feedback I've gotten on this story so far. My mailbox has pretty much exploded with kind reviews and favs/follows and I couldn't be happier! I really didn't expect so many of you to like this story so much. It brings me joy to know that I'm doing something right with it and it gives me motivation when you all continue to read it. Thank you so much!**

 **This chapter, as I stated in the last, will now take place in an AU. Also, I thought I would be placing Selene in Damascus…but when I started to really think of how I wanted to arrange things, I decided it would be better if she would be put in Jerusalem. It would be easier to add her into the story line that way.**

 ***SPOILERS*****: I'm sure everyone has already (obviously) but if you HAVE NOT finished and/or played AC1 I would advise that you do so before reading this so I don't spoil it for you. I would think you'd want things to make sense as you are reading. You've been warned.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **(~0~)**

The heat was not something that Selene enjoyed.

With that being said, summer was one of her least favorite seasons. Sure, she loved to swim and dress in cool clothing just as much as the next person, but once the unbearable scorch of sun hit her skin, nothing would be on her mind other than finding the best source of shade; outside or to a lovely retreat indoors.

At this moment, however, retreating somewhere indoors was not going to be possible.

The brunette's eyes blinked open slowly, wincing against the harsh sunlight that seared her vision while she laid flat on her back on what appeared to be a gritty type of sand. Well, maybe not sand. But it was too soft to be dirt; that was for sure.

Sitting up, Selene wiped her hands on her pants to free them of dust—only to twitch her fingers at the sight of a familiar blue gem resting on her ring finger. "Cameron's ring…" she muttered under her breath, thumbing the ring softly at the thought of her best friend. He had sacrificed himself for her to escape and she had no idea what had happened to him after he pushed her—

"That bastard," she suddenly hissed, swiping her hand in the dirt and kicking up more dust. "He pushed me in!"

Growling under her breath, she took in her surroundings while slowly rising to her feet. She was a bit dizzy at first—probably side effects from traveling with the ring—but that went quickly as she tried not to panic at the unfamiliar buildings. Selene had woken up in a small alleyway, it had seemed, caved in by pots and crates filled with all types of things inside them. The walls opposite of her were made out of adobe and sandstone, dreary in color and doing nothing to shade her from the beams of sunlight streaming through crevices in between them.

Wherever she was, it was _not_ Minnesota.

"I don't understand…where did you take me?" she looked down at the ring, narrowing her teal eyes when it flashed back at her. The damn thing had to be mocking her, doing something so coincidental like that.

That didn't matter. She couldn't just stay there. She'd have to walk around if she wanted to find out where she was.

Voices from behind her made her jump clear out of her boots before she whipped around to see two men giving her questionable looks. If their richly-tanned skin and slightly dirtied robes didn't give them away, the language they spoke in certainly had as it was not even close to English.

While studying them, one of the men spoke to her again. It took her a few seconds to realize what language it was and the revelation puzzled her. _Arabic?_ She guessed, mentally kicking herself for not taking a chance to learn the language in her schooling. She shook her head, briefly wondering how she would communicate with the two. "I'm sorry," she apologized, raising her hands in front of her. "I can't understand you."

Without warning, the ring she wore sent a bolt straight up her arm, inducing pain and causing her to yelp. Selene clutched her hand to her chest and tried not to glare at the item. _Why did you shock me?!_ She wanted to snarl at it, ready to give it a piece of her mind…

"Are you alright, miss?"

Selene's head snapped up at the perfect English the man was now speaking. His voice had a heavy accent to it, but he spoke her mother tongue flawlessly, as if he had used it his entire life. _That can't be right, he was just speaking Arabic!_

"I-I'm sorry," she tried not to appear flustered as she replied. "I didn't realize that you could speak English…"

"Ah, is that what you were speaking before? Forgive me, but neither of us know how to speak the language. You appear to know Arabic yourself, this is good! We had thought you were in trouble upon hearing you shout."

At first, Selene couldn't process his words.

She almost wanted to laugh and claim that he was pulling her leg, but the action died when she started to realize that he really _wasn't._

Had the ring somehow become a translator for her? It couldn't be _that_ powerful, could it? She stroked the sapphire set in the middle. Of course it could be. It had managed to send her to another place, why would it be surprising if it could do even more than that?

 _What else are you capable of…?_

"Miss?"

"O-Oh, excuse me. I seem to be lost in thought today." Selene laughed nervously, apologizing when she had ignored the two men. She would have to worry about the ring later. For now, she had to find out where she was or there would be trouble. "Could you possibly tell me where I am? I think I'm a bit lost."

The duo looked at each other in slight confusion before turning back to her, the one speaking giving her a hesitant smile. "The market of Jerusalem, miss."

Shock permeated her whole system, her expression floored when he said this. She was _that_ far from home?! That had been a lot worse than she expected it to be. And not only that, she had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her she wasn't even in her own time, either. She doubted that modern-day Jerusalem looked like this.

"And what year is it, if I may ask?" she tried to sound as polite as possible. The look he gave her was one that showed just how alarmed he was at her question. She had been prepared for that. No one in the right mind wouldn't know the year if they were involved in everyday life.

"….We are in the year 1191." The man replied slowly, searching her face to see if she was indeed alright.

Physically, yes.

Mentally, no.

She was not alright. Not at all.

The ring had not only sent her to a completely different country—it had sent her to a different country, during a different time—during the third crusade.

She was sure that she had paled considerably, as she could even feel the own color draining from her face. Sweat trailed down her back, coinciding with the fear and stress she felt. How would she get back to her own time without knowing the full extent of the ring's powers? She imagined it would be difficult, but not overly so. Cameron had said that the ring chose people to attach itself to, and if it denied them, it would burn them. But it didn't seem to be doing that to her.

Except when it zapped her. That was unexpected, but it had managed to help her understand the Arabian language in the process, so she couldn't fault it for that.

"Are you absolutely sure you are well?" the man asked worriedly, taking calculated steps towards her, almost if he didn't want to frighten her. "You seem as if you are ill…"

Selene wanted to sigh at his coddling. They already thought she was mentally unstable? "I promise I'm fine." She held up her hands, doing her best to be kind and not step away from him. "I think I just need something to drink. This heat seems to be getting to me."

"Ah, yes. I could help if you wish? I have quite a few barrels of wine back at my stall." He offered kindly, waving a hand towards the end of the alley to an area that was bustling with people.

Selene deadpanned, suddenly remembering that water was a scarce source back in the crusades so they took the initiative to create wine and drink it when the people saw fit. Stuffing down the urge to recoil at his offer, she gave a shaky smile, heading towards the duo's stall with them. "That's very kind of you, thank you."

"Not at all." He led her through the crowded market with ease while his partner met his strides. Selene tried to ignore the looks of sheer contempt and confusion on some of the shoppers' faces. Her clothes were drawing unwanted attention, signaling that she would need to change soon. It would be best to, anyway. It was too hot for her current clothing, not matter how much she dreaded to take it off. It reminded her of home, so it would be difficult. But it had to be done.

The man stopped in front of a medium-sized stall that surrounded tables of all shapes and sizes, piles of different foods set atop each wooden surface. Most were fruits that she had yet to identify, but there were a select few that looked to be loaves of bread and assortments of vegetables. "Here we are." He announced, stepped behind a table and reaching under it to grab a wooden goblet that was filled with red liquid. "I usually sell this in pairs to customers who buy something first, but I will make an exception for you as you are parched."

She bowed her head in thanks, taking the goblet and sipping it slowly to savor the taste. It wasn't water, and it was warm, but it would have to do. Wine in the earlier eras wasn't nearly as strong as the wine in her time, so its acquired taste didn't bother her much.

"Oh, do forgive me. I haven't introduced myself. I am known as Falim," he placed a hand on his chest in greeting, eyes expectant. "And you are?"

Selene had the passing thought of giving him a name that wasn't her own, but thought against it as quick as it had come. This man had helped her, she couldn't just out and lie to him. She _hated_ lying, it was not an option in her book. So instead, she gripped the goblet tightly and mustered up her kindest smile. "My name is Selene. It's a pleasure, and thank you so much for your help." She turned her head to listen to Falim's partner, then frowned a bit when he only gave a slight wave of his hand to her. The action made Falim chuckle.

"Do forgive Rassham." Falim leaned over and slapped his back, making him jump a bit and drop the fruits he had been holding. The man named Rassham glared as he bent down to pick them up. "He does not speak. Please do not be insulted if he does not reply to you. He never has to anyone, not even I."

"He's deaf?"

Rassham snorted at her, making her cheeks heat up at his amusement. Had she said something wrong?

Apparently she had, because Falim seemed just as amused. "Not deaf, my dear." He chuckled. "He just prefers not to speak. Sometimes I like to think that he believes it is below him to partake in conversation."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so quick to assume that."

"Pay it no mind. He hears it quite often." Falim's eyes traveled over a woman wearing accented clothing, watching as she fawned over his produce. A definite buyer. "Tell me, are you an Englishwoman? You must understand my confusion, for I have not seen a woman of your appearance around the city before."

Well, he wasn't necessarily wrong. But he wasn't right, either. Selene shrugged her shoulders. What was the harm? "I…guess you could say that, yes. I am English." She confirmed lightly. A warm wind drifted by, lifting her long tresses and causing them to flutter around her face. She wanted to groan at how hot the simple action made her, reminding herself to braid it all back the second she could.

"One would think so just by looking at you," he joked, his eyes crinkling with laugh lines. "You seem to be causing quite the commotion, actually." He said as an afterthought, and he was indeed right. More than a few people had just stopped to look at her, a couple not far from her even having the audacity to point fingers. Selene did her best not to glare back. Didn't they know that it was rude to point?

"Whatever gave you that idea?" she grumbled under her breath, low enough so he wouldn't be able to hear it. _I need to find some other clothes, and fast._ "Falim, I know that we've just met and I may seem strange to you…but could you find it in you to help me once more? I'm on a sort of…adventure at the moment, and I require new clothing for my endeavors. Unfortunately, I don't think my currency will be of value to anyone here…so is there a way you could spare some of your own?" she bowed her head once again, too afraid to see his expression at her plea. "I don't want to seem like I'm begging you for this, and I will completely understand if you can't—"

"Please, say no more." Falim held up a hand to silence her from going any further. He was grinning, so Selene took this as a good sign. "It would not be right of me if I refused to help a visitor of the country. It must be god's will that is leading me to help you."

"Perhaps it is," she agreed, albeit half-heartedly. _Or perhaps it's the work of someone that I couldn't imagine._

Falim reached under the table that he had gotten the goblet of wine from, now picking up a pot that rattled sharply when he moved it from one arm to another. Sticking his hand inside, he pulled out a few gold coins and several silver. _Dinars?_ She asked herself, wondering if that was the right name for the currency. She couldn't have been sure, but that didn't matter. She'd learn soon enough.

"Rassham, would you be so kind to retrieve an empty coin pouch from the back?" he asked his partner benevolently, counting the coins in his hands to make sure he had just the right amount for Selene. The brunette was absolutely floored at how generous he was being. Who in the right mind trusted someone they didn't even know? People in her time had much to learn.

Upon hearing Falim's request, the mute man shook his head silently and pulled out a pouch from the inside of his robes. He then proceeded to wave it towards Falim, coins clinking against each other while indicating that he wanted him to take it.

This surprised the other man. "Are you quite sure? I cannot compensate all of it should you do this," Falim warned. Selene watched in slight confusion when Rassham only nodded, tossing him the pouch and smirking when he caught it with ease.

He then turned to the brunette, his smirk widening when he saw her confusion. He inclined his head towards her and turned back to assorting the fruits. Selene tilted her head whilst question marks still floated around her. What was he doing?

"Rassham has decided to lend you his own coin added onto what I am going to give you." Falim answered her question without her asking it. At this, Selene's eyes widened considerably and she waved her hands frantically. Forget what she said about him being generous; he was practically a Saint. The both of them were.

"That's very kind of you, really. But I can't take all of your coin!" She regretted her words a little when Rassham looked a bit insulted. That hadn't been her intention to make him upset, but they really were offering her too much. She only wanted enough to purchase new clothes, but she knew that silver dinars would be more than enough.

"Nonsense, my girl." Falim chided, taking one of her hands and plopping the coin bag in her palm. He placed his hand on top of the bag so that she couldn't remove it, his voice narrowing down to a whisper between the two of them. "One thing that you should know about _this one,_ is that he does not take no for an answer. It is best that you just accept the pouch and thank him."

She stilled, looking at the mute man out of the corner of her eye. He seemed to be deeply engaged in his work, nodding to himself each time he placed a fruit or vegetable in the spot that he liked most.

At first, she hadn't thought much of the man. He didn't seem eager to meet her or please her with his efforts (well, he had nonetheless) and her looked as if he would rather keep to himself then become associated with her. But he had proven her wrong in some aspects due to his sudden generosity. It shocked her how someone could go from being so introverted to immensely benevolent to her.

So, she stalled her complaints and turned her full attention to Rassham. She knew that hugs and the like weren't appropriate in this time—they'd sooner smite her then allow her the honor—but that didn't mean she could bow the lowest her waist would let her and thank him like the good Samaritan she knew he really was. "Thank you so much." She forced herself to choke down her tears. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "You don't know how much this means to me. Truly, thank you both."

The traveler could tell that Rassham was a bit uncomfortable at her forward honesty, as he only waved a hand and averted his eyes from her. She didn't mind if he felt awkward. That had been perfectly fine from him. Falim, on the other hand was not so shy to place his hand on her shoulder in a friendly gesture. "It would make us all the happier if you used it all for things that you truly need. All we ask is that you spend wisely."

"I can promise you that I will." She replied sincerely, grinning from ear-to-ear. Selene decided that she would do her best to repay them somehow before she found a way back home. _If_ she could find a way back. She dismissed the negative thought, immediately moving onto the next. "I should be in the area for a while, so if you see me and you need anything at all, don't hesitate to call on me. I may not be able to pay with money but I can definitely pay with manual labor."

"I will be sure to do so if the need arises." Falim accepted her request easily, waving goodbye to her as she announced her retreat.

Selene took a deep breath as she surveyed the market, watching people scurry by and stop momentarily to look at or buy things of interest. She had to admit, it was fascinating to see just how excited someone became when they found a beaded necklace or thin silks. Her time took the fun out of street shopping, so it was refreshing to have a change such as this one.

Her eyes landed on a merchant that stood in front of his stall a few stands down. In his arms, he held many colorful robes that fluttered when he moved. Definitely something that she could wear. _Bingo._ She thought happily, making her way yet again through the crowd and closing in on him. He shouted words that would surely lure his customers in, excitement lacing his words when he claimed that he owned the best silken robes around.

"Excuse me," she spoke to him, making him turn to her with what could only be described as a salesmen's grin. She eyed the dark fabrics that he held, deciding that they would do perfectly to conceal her. "Do those robes have a hood connected? I wish to cover myself from the hot sun."

The grin on the man's face went from stark happy to slightly confused in a millisecond. Obviously, she had asked something that he wasn't prepared for. "Yes, but as a woman, would you not prefer something a tad smaller? Perhaps I could interest you in a dress with a matching sash to—"

Oh, she knew where he was going with that. She would rather be hit by a bolt of lightning then hear someone complain about the morals and ideals a woman should have. "That's fine, they'll do just perfectly. I'd like the extra room." She smiled tightly, holding out her hand expectantly. Once bought, she would go somewhere else and change. She didn't want to do so around sexist men. Once he (reluctantly) handed her the ivory robes, she looked towards the back of his shop. Not only did he carry layers of clothing, but he also carried sandals and what looked to be buckled work boots. "And I'd also like the second smallest pair of boots that you have, too."

"Forgive my brashness, but how do you possibly think you will afford—"

"Trust me, you'll get your money's worth. You don't have to worry."

The merchant clenched his teeth behind tightly-closed lips, breathing out through his nose as he turned on his heel and plucked a pair of boots off the shelf. Once he faced her again, she snatched the boots out of his grip and plopped them down on top of the robes. She then reached into her pocket, pulling out the coin purse that Falim and Rassham had given her. "How much do I owe you?" she asked, opening the bag and sifting through the gold and silver coins lazily.

The merchant narrowed his eyes at her confidence. "Two gold dinars shall cover it all." He replied back, almost haughtily, as if he somehow knew that she'd gawk at the price. She only shook her head. She had expected it to be at least that much, especially when she added on the leather boots. Leather was a bit hard to come by especially in the form of boots.

Taking out the two gold coins—and silently praying that he really wasn't trying to rip her off—she dropped them into his awaiting hand and spun on her heel. "Good day," she called over her shoulder, glad the exchange was over. She could finally change out of her thick and uncomfortably hot clothes!

Selene trekked through the market, looking for a dark place to hide behind and change when her gaze captured a sort of small canopy closure on the side of an alley. She hurried over to it, slipping inside and ignoring the smell of stale hay as she quickly stripped herself of her modern clothes and pulled the whitewashed tunic over her head. She kept her jeggings on—at least they'd be comfortable enough to run in—then proceeded to place the rest of the robes over herself.

The boots were a little uncomfortable, though. She'd have to break them in for a little while so that they didn't hurt her feet when she moved about. Finishing up her changing session, she braided her hair back and tucked it safely inside her hood, patting it down for good measure and gathering her clothes in a bundle while stepping out of the canopy. She looked down at her new clothing, now wishing that it wasn't stark white. She wouldn't be able to blend in much.

But for now, she had to focus on the task at hand. Selene knew it would take her hours to scope out the city just by walking through it. That was not what she intended to do. She needed a higher vantage point.

That meant she'd have to find her way to the rooftops.

The brunette scanned the market again. This time, no one had been looking at her. That was a plus, especially since she had changed her clothes out for something that surrounded the era. Her long robes covered her jeggings perfectly so they wouldn't be viewed by any strangers.

Selene looked down at the bundle of clothes in her arms. Carrying them while trying to find a place to climb would be bothersome. She wasn't especially bad at climbing, no; she had climbed many things during her lifetime, a building or shack wouldn't be an exception. Even so, she couldn't use one arm to hoist herself up. So she instead placed the bundle next to the canopy, sprinkling some hay over them so that no one would become suspicious and take them.

Moving over to the sandstone building next to the canopy, Selene was surprised to see that there was a ladder leading up to the roof, knowing now that she could carry her clothes up with her if she so wished. But she instead left them where they were.

"Just come back for them when I get back down, I guess…" she muttered to herself, grabbing onto one of the rungs on the ladder and starting her ascension upwards. The trip was short and easy, and she stood to full height once her foot touched the roof. Looking around, she took in the higher elevation.

An elevation that was s _till_ not high enough.

She wasn't going to get a good vantage point unless she chose a higher building. That wouldn't be a problem, there were several tall buildings littered around the city. In fact, there was a cathedral-like tower just a short distance from the roof she was standing on. If she could skip across a few of the homes...

The loud caroling of bells sounded in the distance, briefly startling her out of her thoughts. Were they church bells, maybe? This was Jerusalem, after all. Religion was a very important factor here. Yes, that had to be it.

Or so she told herself, until she could _also_ hear the shouts and footsteps of men coming rapidly making their way towards her location. Selene stood still, head cocked to the side to concentrate on their words.

"Inf….del!"

"Do not…him!"

"…Get away!"

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't pinpoint their exact words. The bells had stopped, but their voices were still a bit too far away.

Selene didn't know if she should move towards the voices or move to a different roof, but judging by their tones, it would probably be the latter. The men had sounded angry, shrill even, as if they were...

"Chasing someone…" she muttered to herself. That had to be it! It had to be a thief or someone accused of some wrongdoing. She wasn't exactly sure, but she wasn't going to stick around if that was the case. The last thing she needed was to be chased for something she didn't do.

Carefully looking over the edge of the buildings and deciding the gap was small enough to cross by jumping, Selene took a few steps back and launched forward, propelling her body to the other roof. For a split second, she was suspended in the air—only to land harshly on her knee the second she came down.

So much for sticking the landing.

Selene slowly rose to her feet, wiping off her now dirtied robes in dismay. And so much for wearing white. A bad decision on her part. How many roofs did she have to cross again?

"Infidel! He is there!"

The cry was much closer this time, and she could now hear the voices clearly. Almost _too_ clearly. Her head whipped around, hood obscuring her face from view as she took in the many men racing towards her, skipping rooftops like it was human nature.

"Accept your fate, assassin!" one of them spat, gripping his sword tightly and glaring at her with wild eyes. His words struck fear in her instantly. Assassin? She wasn't an assassin, and she wasn't male. But there wasn't enough time for her to defend herself from their misleading accusations.

So she bolted.

Selene turned as quickly as her body would let her, breaking out into a full sprint in the direction she had originally been facing. The boots on her feet barely scraped the roof in her haste, her breath coming out in short huffs as she forced her lungs to save air capacity while she ran.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins coinciding with her fear as she created distance between herself and the guards. Each time she landed wrong on a different roof, she would return to her feet twice as fast…but that meant that each time she failed to land correctly, the men became closer than before.

Selene peered over her shoulder, trying to maneuver herself around the easier areas while keeping an eye on her pursuers. They weren't as far away as they were before, which added onto her worries. She couldn't run forever, especially not on the rooftops.

 _I have to get to the ground…need a ladder…_

Or she could jump down. Which would most likely lead to her death.

Ladder it is.

Her eyes quickly searched the area. Everything looked the same, from the edges of the roof to each canopy she passed. When she thought her luck had finally ran out, she spotted two throngs poking out from the side of the roof in front of her. _There!_

Ignoring the calls behind her, Selene pushed her body to its limit, getting ready for the last jump she would have to make. As soon as she got to the other side, she would have to quickly climb down and lose them in the crowd or the alleys. That would be her best bet.

But nothing prepared her for the pure agony that struck her side before she could make her jump. The attempt was soiled immensely, and her body went careening downward to the ground below. Selene let out a sharp cry, latching onto the side of the roof and digging her fingers into crevices before she could fall to her death.

Whatever hope she had of escaping now was crushed.

Struggling to hold onto the building, Selene glanced down at her side in alarm—only to find an arrow lodged near her hip. It wasn't helping that the pulsing pain shot up all the way to her arm, making it even harder to hold on. Her feet kicked at the wall, looking for any dips in the adobe that she could catch for even a second to ensure that she would be able to climb down.

However, she couldn't just drop down; the fall was too far. She would probably break her legs if she tried. Not only that…but her time had insufficiently run out.

Selene cried out when something heavy stamped onto her fingers, nearly causing her to let go in panic. The man with the feral look in his eyes from before stared down at her, his snarling expression turning into one of malicious amusement. "What is this?" he barked out a laugh, sheathing his sword and snatching her wrists into a painful grip. He hauled her back to the roof with little effort, releasing one of her wrists to grip onto her neck.

"This is no man, but a woman? Perhaps an accomplice?" he added haughtily, shoving her down to her knees and holding her hands behind her back. Selene felt her eyes water at the tugging pain the movement caused, wishing that she could rip herself out of her captors hold. She could feel the blood running down to her legs, dampening her clothing little by little. God only knew how much more of the liquid there would be if she pulled the arrow out.

"Damn archers..." she hissed lowly, her thoughts jumbling out of her mouth in her time of stress. The men around her laughed, obviously amused at her foul language. Selene glared, gritting her teeth and scanning the men in front of her. There were at least four of them, five if you counted the one holding her down. Had there been less before? She didn't care to know.

All she cared about was somehow finding a way out of the situation, and fast.

Falim, Rassham, Cameron…they didn't help her so that she could die now. She refused to be killed for a false misconception.

The grip around her neck tightened uncomfortably, restricting her breathing the slightest bit. She prayed that he hadn't intended to choke her. "Quite the mouth you have." Her captor chuckled, pushing her head so low that her forehead nearly touched the ground. Selene's heart began to thump faster in her chest when the glint of steel could be seen out of the corner of her eye. A sword was placed next to her head, dangerously close.

"I will make you a deal," the man spoke, ripping her hood off of her head and exposing her neck to the scorch of the sun's rays. "Tell us which direction the other assassin went, and you will be spared. You will make a fantastic pet for those willing to pay."

His sneer was recognizable even when she couldn't see his face. Had she not been restrained, she would turn around and shove her first down his damn throat. Sucking in a shuddering breath, Selene did all she could to contain her anger.

"I have absolutely no idea. And not only that, I'm only a simple traveler! I was only trying to get a stable view of the city until you men decided to chase me and _shoot_ me in the process!" her last words came out more furious then she intended them to, but she couldn't help it. She was pissed that she was stuck in this situation. And for what?

"Liar!" her captor seethed, digging his blunt nails into the base of her throat and effectively choking her. "You would not have run if you were but a simple traveler. And your robes say otherwise. How does it feel to be reduced even lower than an assassin's whore?"

Oh, that was a low blow.

No pun intended.

The brunette desperately wanted to retaliate with her words. Instead, she decided to use her head and work around the negatives. "If you couldn't already tell, I'm without weapons. So how could I be an accomplice? And I wasn't going in the direction of whoever you were looking for. I am telling you that I am completely innocent!"

Everything that she spoke of was true, but the words still sounded like lies coming out of her mouth. And she bet it sounded the same to the other men as well. She truly was at a loss at how to persuade them to let her go. And as time seemed to fly by, her strength became faint as well as the edges of her vision as she continued to lose blood. Selene was deathly afraid that she would end up bleeding out before she could escape.

"Nothing you say or do will change our minds otherwise, woman. You can either tell us where he went, or you will die. Choose wisely, for my patience is thinning."

 _What a daft prick!_ She snarled internally, biting her lip so the words wouldn't spill. Tears pricked her eyes as her frustration and pain mounted over everything else. She was tired, hurting, upset, and now she was about to die at the hands of filthy strangers. Lovely.

Her consciousness waned farther and farther and her body became deadweight in her captors hold. The man seemed to notice this, letting her drop like a sack of potatoes and hit the roof with an audible thud. "Unfortunately for you, your time is up." His dirtied boots passed her half-lidded gaze, moving out of view as he trekked away. "One of you, take care of that. She is of no use to us as of n—"

His words were replaced with sickening gurgles, making Selene furrow her eyebrows in curiosity. She couldn't see very well, but by the way he was standing on the edge of the roof, she could tell that his form was stiff.

Without warning, her captor fell forward, his form disappearing from view as he plummeted off the side of the building.

This caused the other guards to scurry around in a frenzy, shouting at one another and whipping their heads around to search for the perpetrator who had just caused their fellow soldier's death. Despite this, Selene was not focused on them.

Instead, she was focused on the eagle that circled above their heads, slightly fascinated at the loud cries it emitted into the open skies.

She had seen that eagle before. It had been in her dreams, but it was unmistakable.

Selene had been so focused on the eagle that she hadn't noticed one soldier drop after the other, only to lay dead around her. She turned her head to the side, blinking and trying to clear her vision to see the cause of their deaths.

Imbedded in their throats were small, but deadly sharp knives that split easily through their vitals, killing them almost instantly. She tensed a bit, wincing at the sensation it gave her wound. Who had thrown them? She hadn't expected to be helped, but by god, she had in the last moment.

Her thoughts went in a disarray when she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. They were faint, almost too quiet for her to hear, but they were there. She didn't want to risk turning around. Not only would it hurt like a bitch, but it would also put her into even more danger than she was in before.

 _Would it? They did just save my life, after all._

Just before she could turn, leathered boots appeared by her head, the sides kissed by white robes that fluttered around them easily. Selene barely caught the hint of red snuggled into the fabric, laying carefully on the person's side—a man, no doubt. If his presence didn't scream masculine, then his form did as well as the scabbard and the chinking of something metal on another part of his body.

Selene stayed put. She didn't even glance up to see his face. As far as she was concerned, this man was even more dangerous that the guards that pursued her. It sure as hell felt that way. The brunette wasn't psychic by any means, but she was almost certain that he gave off a specific type of aura; an aura that spoke volumes of his true nature, and that nature was death and destruction.

The man looked down at her while she stared at his boots through drowsy eyes, her own form stiffening gradually when he began to kneel next to her. Her eyes slid shut. _God, I can't even look._ Now she couldn't see what he was doing…or what he would do.

Selene tried to force open her eyes again, but found that she couldn't because of her sudden fatigue. Alarm bells went off into her mind at this. If she didn't get medical help soon, then there was no way she would live. What could possibly help her now? Hardly anything could heal her in this era!

The sudden touch of warm fingers on her side made her jump in fright, followed by a hiss of pain. She wasn't expecting him to touch her, especially not her wound. A slight huff passed over her face, as if the stranger had been amused with her actions. _Please, not another dick. I really don't need this right now._

Again she felt fingers, this time on the side of her neck. Right on her pulse point. Selene knew that he could feel the flutter of her heartbeat under his appendages, further embarrassing her and causing a light flush of color to overcome her cheeks. Why was he touching her like this instead of helping her?!

Her mouth felt dry when she opened it, as if she hadn't had a drink in ages. "Please…help." she croaked out with what little strength she had left. It had been almost too quiet, but she knew he had heard her words by the way his fingers stilled. Yes, he had heard her loud and clear.

His fingers then trailed down to the juncture of her neck and shoulder, which confused her. Why there? She had wanted to ask him, but the shock of his sudden words had stunned her into silence.

"Your pain shall be no more. Sleep."

And with the quick snap of his palm against her pressure point, her world was once again thrown into oblivion as he successfully sent her into the depths of unconsciousness.

 **(x0x)**

 **Yeeeup. That just happened.**

 **Let me know how you liked this chapter! I'm really hoping it didn't seem forced. I wanted to get this chapter out pretty early, but I kept reading over it again and again, making changes to it because I wasn't fully satisfied with the content. Please let me know how I did, feedback is appreciated!**

 **See you soon,**

 **~M**


	5. Talk that Talk

**A/N: Hello again!**

 **It's been a little while since I've updated. I don't really have an excuse, just the fact that I've had some writer's block lately. Of course I would never forget about this story! I can't thank you all enough for following and favoriting. I have nearly fifty followers on this story…that's crazy! I can't believe in everyone's interest. I'm glad that I seem to be doing something right with this story.**

 **Without further ado, the chapter you've been waiting for~**

 **(x0x)**

The first thing that Selene comprehended upon awakening was the soft, quiet voices of men.

At first, they were a bit muffled. But as she gradually regained consciousness, she could just make out the words they were saying. She shifted her prone body against the surface she was on uncomfortably, ignoring the flash of pain in her abdomen and forcing her ears to listen in.

"And you chose to bring her here? As I have said before, you are nothing but a novice." One man hissed in obvious contempt. "You have already disgraced the brotherhood. Need you further your actions?"

A scoff was heard, as well as the shuffling of clothing. "Perhaps if you took a look at her hand, you would see the cause of my _actions_." The other male replied. Selene tensed, clenching her hand the slightest bit. Was he after the Piece of Eden? She knew she wouldn't be able to hold him off, not in this state.

 _Speaking of which…_ she murmured mentally. Moving slowly, she lifted a hand and winced as she lightly ran it over her stomach. Right where the arrow had pierced her. She wasn't surprised to feel that it was gone, replaced by tight bandaging.

Suddenly, a firm hand gripped her own, halting her movements and causing her eyes to snap open in shock. The room was dimly lit, helping her adjust a bit quicker than when she had woken in the hot sun. Her gaze flickered immediately to the perpetrator.

What she saw made her go pale.

Sharp, golden eyes met hers immediately followed by an emotionless expression. A white hood obscured the rest of the man's face, casting a shadow down his nose and cheeks. His mouth was in a visible straight line. Down his torso he wore a holster that contained no weapon, followed by a belt adorning many accessories; including a pouch and a sword scabbard. The arm that continued to hold her was covered by a heavy gauntlet. There was something under it that she couldn't see, but that wasn't what captured her the most. Besides his stunning orbs, he was missing his ring finger.

Despite all of that, there was one huge fact that was presented in front of her face.

This man was the very same man from her dreams. The one she had been so enamored with that she placed his form on one of her canvases. The same man that Cameron had identified.

This was Altair.

"Holy shit…" Selene whispered, not intending for the two men in the room to hear her. Unfortunately, they did. Altair's expression seemed to deepen, as if he was disgusted by her choice of words. She blanched. Of course, cursing and the like was extremely frowned upon in this era. Whoops.

Selene smiled sheepishly, although it was forced, and tried to save herself from further embarrassment. "Ha…sorry. Sometimes words just seem to fly out of my mouth. And they're not always the best." She laughed awkwardly, trying not to rip her hand out of his seemingly tighter grip. "That's quite a handshake you've got. But usually they don't last this long, so don't mind if I just—" she cut herself off, slowly easing her palm out of his grip.

That obviously didn't sit well with the robed man, because his grip tightened painfully around her smaller hand, his rough skin digging into hers. "Hold your tongue." He said curtly, causing her to freeze in place and stall her insistent talking. Altair flipped her hand so that she could see the ring she wore. "I am only going to ask this once. Why do you have this?"

The brunette swallowed, not sure how to answer him correctly. This tank of a man in front of her was extremely deadly. One wrong answer and…

"I-It was a gift from a friend."

She slapped herself mentally. _Good going, dumbass!_ She scolded herself, knowing that her answer was incidentally the wrong one. One that would potentially get her killed.

Of course, Altair was not amused. Selene could tell that he was holding himself back. From doing what? She chose to ignore.

The assassin whipped her hand back, twisting her wrist in an excruciating angle and making her cry out. His eyes promised retribution if she didn't give him the right answer. "Spare me your lies, woman. I have no qualms against killing you should you refuse to tell the truth."

"Altair…" the other man in the room said in a warning tone, but the assassin wasn't fazed one bit. He continued to look at her threateningly, causing her to flinch at the coldness in his gaze.

"I refuse to believe such drivel, Malik. I would rather she not waste my time with it." Said man responded back, a growl tinting his voice.

Technically, she wasn't lying. It wasn't so much as a gift, rather something to protect her. Something that sent her far away from her home and into an unknown land where she knew she would have trouble surviving in. Selene grit her teeth against the pain.

She was done.

For the third time in one day, she was being threatened and sentenced to death for not a single crime committed. And quite frankly, that pissed her off. So she did what she always did in a troubling situation.

She rambled.

"You know what?" she started lowly, closing the distance between their faces and watching as Altair's eyebrow shot up. "Fine. You might as well just kill me already. I have been chased, shot at, and forced to watch my friend's death, only to be pulled from the only home I have ever known because of my heritage and this stupid ring! And not only that, oh no, it doesn't stop there." She snapped, her form shaking in barely suppressed rage. Altair looked as if he wanted to interrupt, but she didn't let him. He could wait. "As soon as I ended up smack dab in the middle of _fucking_ Jerusalem, I had to pretty much grovel and beg for the only bit of coin I do have to change into some decent clothing that wouldn't make my body heat skyrocket, only to have it shredded by a damned arrow as I was being chased on the rooftops like some parkour expert, all for a crime I didn't commit! So I'm truly sorry if I didn't give you the answer you so desired, _oh great assassin._ "

The second she was finished, she was slammed into the cot behind her. Her wounds screamed out in protest against the abuse, and her eyes widened in fear. She had let her temper get the best of her, again. And she was about the pay the price for it.

Again.

Altair's eyes flashed dangerously, a newly formed scowl placed on his face. The sound of a blade being unsheathed met her ears and she twisted her head to the side to see what it was. She stopped instantly when the skin of her neck met cold metal.

"Enlighten me…" Altair hissed, pushing the tip of the blade closer to her jugular. "…On why I should not kill you whilst you know about our origins."

Selene gnawed on the inside of her cheek, subduing any idiotic comments she nearly replied. Instead of the pure, unaltered anger she felt before, she felt utter fear. She was at a loss of what to tell him. There was one option that she had. She could tell him the truth; that she was of assassin heritage as well. Granted, he would probably think she was still lying. But it was worth a try. If she could somehow prove it to him with the ring…

"I know because I belong to a family of assassins. I was orphaned as a child and I didn't find out the truth until a few days ago. That's when I was attacked and nearly killed by people called Templars, and a close friend of mine gave me this." She fluttered her fingers, watching as the ring glinted off of the low lighting. "He said that it was a Piece of Eden and that it only reacted under an assassin's influence. It brought me here…to Jerusalem. Far away from the danger." _But who am I kidding? There was more waiting for me here._

Surprisingly, the assassin in front of her actually seemed to be contemplating her words. He still looked at her with that killer gleam in his eyes, but this time, he truly was doing some intense thinking. A couple of seconds later, his blade receded back into its sheath slowly, his other hand moving away from her shoulder as he continued to watch her closely. His eyes whipped back to her ring, then back to her face once more.

"…Tempus." Altair muttered, making her blink in confusion.

"Come again?"

"It is the proper name for your piece. Tempus. It is Latin for the 'Ring of Time'." Altair's partner, Malik, spoke behind him, coming closer to the cot so that this time he was in view. When she got a better look, she could see that he was missing an arm. Her eyes narrowed sadly at his misfortune.

"Oh…I see…" she trailed off awkwardly, feeling the ring heat against her finger as if it was happy to be acknowledged. It was almost as if it was a living, breathing object.

"You said before that it brought you to Jerusalem." Malik insisted, gazing at her curiously. His eyes held that of someone who enjoyed literacy and knowledge. He was purely interested in her arrival. "Would it be safe to assume that you indeed traveled through time?"

She paused, almost nervous to confirm his curiosity. After a moment, she nodded. There was no point in dragging her answers out longer than she had to. It would serve to only make things worse, like it had before.

"Amazing…" the one-armed dai breathed, eyes trained on her ring. "This is simply incredible. We have to ail this to Al Mualim. He will be ecstatic to know that another piece was found."

Altair was silent, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with his companion. He seemed to be deep in thought, contemplating something that Selene wasn't aware of. Taking a few moments to think, he stood from his position in front of her, a breeze of air being sent her way by his robes as he turned his back on her. "Do what you must. My mission awaits me."

Malik's scowl turned into a snarl, shaking his head in disgust as he whipped a feather from his pocket and threw it towards the assassin while watching it flutter to the ground in front of him. "Do you hear yourself? I fail to believe you are capable of taking down Talal whilst you think like that."

Altair didn't respond, instead choosing to pick up the feather and place it in the interior of his robes. He made his way towards the opposite side of the room that harbored a fountain at the base, light streaming in from the gated roof above. "Ensure that she stays here. It should not take me more than an hour to kill him." He finished, referring to Talal.

And with that, he began to climb.

Selene watched in fascination at how easily he scaled the wall, kicking off of the fountain's spout and digging his hands and feet into anything sticking out. It took him only seconds to make it to the top, his movement similar to a jungle cats. He pulled himself onto the roof easily, disappearing from her sight. She heard a frustrated sigh come from the side of her, obviously coming from Malik.

"The conceit will not leave him unless he is dead…and with the way things are continuing, I would not be surprised if that happened." He growled, rubbing his face with his single hand.

Blue eyes fluttered lightly, gaze trailing down to the ring on her hand. She watched it thoughtlessly as she responded. "He's a bit frightening."

That earned a sympathetic look from the retired assassin. She could tell that he was almost at as much of a loss as she was, but for a different reason. He shuffled a bit closer to her, taking note to give her space when he saw her tense the slightest bit. He understood her fear, as he once felt the same way when Altair's wrath was directed towards him in his younger years. Unlike now, when he only could feel anger towards his once-friend.

"Allow me to apologize for his misdeed. He should not have threatened you like he did." He said sincerely, taking a complete one-eighty from his earlier personality. Selene tried to find any sign that he was lying as she searched his eyes, but she could find nothing even close to it. His dark eyes stayed gentle, caring—something she did not expect from someone who had killed.

 _Of course, he's still human after all. He feels and lives his life nearly the same as I do._

"Please, don't apologize. There's no harm done." She replied softly, smiling when his expression brightened the slightest bit. It was nice to be in the presence of someone a bit kinder then the company she had before. "So…what's going to happen to my ring? Tempus, I mean." She corrected as an afterthought. It wasn't her ring. It was Cameron's.

Well, it was his. Right before he tossed it into the river and pushed her in with it.

"Unfortunately, I am not completely sure myself. It will depend on my master's wishes what is to be done with your Piece of Eden." He hummed, hand on his chin in thought. "I will have a messenger carry a letter to him with what details have been found. This is an extraordinary discovery; not only do you harbor an extremely rare piece, but the status of your arrival will surely capture much interest within the brotherhood's council. That also reminds me," he made to sit on the end of her cot, intent on keeping the conversation going. "Where is it that you originate from? I know this is not your time, but you do not seem to be of Arabian blood."

Selene took a deep breath, hoping that by telling him the truth it wouldn't affect time itself. She would feel extremely guilty if anything collapsed in her time period. Risking that would be selfish. "Where I'm from, it's 2014." She watched as Malik's face blew into one of intense shock. He had been expecting pretty far into the future, but not _that_ far, she assumed. She smiled a bit in amusement. "I'm not exactly sure what I'm allowed to tell you…I don't want to risk anything happening in the future."

"That is quite alright. You have told me all I needed to know." The dai smiled warmly, gesturing towards her abdomen. "Pardon my rudeness. You have been awake for some time now and I have yet to ask you how your injuries are doing."

Oh.

The brunette's hand automatically went to her stomach, feeling a twinge of pain when she lightly touched it. She didn't even want to guess how she was still alive. In this time the chances of her surviving an arrow to the gut were slim to none. The only alcohol that would be even considered _alcohol_ was wine, and that was hardly effective for medical use. "It hurts a bit. But how…?" she trailed off, leaving the rest of the question out in the open.

"Luckily, your wound was not terribly deep. Any deeper and it would have punctured an important organ." Malik finished for her, standing up from the cot and making his way behind the room's counter. He began rummaging around under it, the clinking of bottles and the like reaching her eyes as he searched for something. Presumably things for her injury. "When Altair brought you to me, I took the initiative to stitch and dress your puncture. I had worried for a brief moment that you would wake and be in pain as I did so, but you stayed unconscious for three days. Perhaps that was better as your pain has seemed to dim some, yes?"

A pit of shock and dread dropped into her stomach. _Three days?!_ What if she had missed something deathly important while being under?

 _Do you even hear yourself? What could have been more important than meeting Altair, of all people? This could mean something that I don't yet understand. He could be my ticket home._ She thought to herself.

"But how did you stop it from getting infected?" she expressed her interest openly. Malik peeked his head up from behind the counter, standing with a roll of bandages and a jar with a green substance inside.

"Ah, I understand that you must have a more advanced medical system in your time?" he assumed, asking her instead of telling her.

Selene nodded. "Incredibly so. There's too many things to name that help us prevent infection, even get rid of it completely. I could sit here for a year and I wouldn't be able to tell you of everything that's evolved in the past eight-hundred years."

"I cannot say I am surprised. Time is responsible for many things." He agreed, coming out from behind the counter and stopping in front of her. "I must apologize for intruding on your privacy before and now, but would it be alright if I replaced your bandaging once more?"

The look he sent her was almost laughable. He almost looked afraid, as if she would lash out and zap him with some unseen power. Selene couldn't help the giggle that escaped her, the sound causing Malik's eyebrows to shoot up. She waved a hand carelessly.

"Of course you can, I'm sorry for laughing it's just," she bit her lip, stopping another trickle of laughter that started to creep up on her. "Unfortunately in my time it's labeled as normal and quite common for women to be in an undressed state by men. It's not really seen as inappropriate."

Malik blinked, no doubt feeling a bit disturbed at her revelation. "I see…" he responded weakly. "How things have changed." He cleared his throat, resuming his spot next to her and glancing down. "May I?" he asked again. She nodded.

It was quiet as the one-armed man proceeded to unwrap the bandages bound tightly around her. Selene could feel an awkward air around the both of them, thought she wasn't sure if it was just because of Malik or if it was because of her. Being this close to a man she hardly knew did have her a bit on edge, but he showed himself to be respectable and he was careful to mind where he put his hands. She couldn't imagine how it must have been for him, being taught that it was only correct to see a women intimately if you were courting her or marrying her. The brunette could see something both wrong and right with that custom.

Her teal eyes followed his movements carefully, a spark flashing through them when she saw him open and did his hand in the slime-like substance in the jar. She didn't ask what it was, but it still left her curious as he slathered it onto her half-healed wound. It must have been doing its job if the hole in her stomach was already starting to scab.

"This is a mixture of many things, but I do happen to know that the main ingredient is an extract of aloe. Our healers send me a jar regularly as you can imagine there is always something to treat in an assassins line of expertise." He answered her unspoken question, making her breathe out an 'oh'.

"Good stuff." She grinned, already feeling the poultice doing its job by taking the pain away. Malik chuckled, getting to work on rewrapping her bandages and tying them snugly on the base of her hip.

"It is done. Now, it would be rude to not offer you something to eat after not being able to do so for three days. I venture that you are famished."

As if on cue, her stomach gave a harsh growl that startled the both of them into silence. Selene looked up sheepishly. "I venture that you're right."

 **(x0x)**

She had to admit that Malik was a rather good cook.

It was a bit difficult getting used to the taste of the food he made; she was so used to eating exquisitely cooked meals that the rough and simply seasoned meat and vegetables freaked out her taste buds. It didn't matter in the slightest, she was extremely hungry.

So her food was devoured in minutes.

After eating, Selene offered to help the dai with errands around the bureau. Malik had tried to refuse but she was having none of it. He had helped her immensely, feeding her and taking care of her while she was bedridden; it was only right of her to do so.

Of course he still didn't let her do much, just some easy dusting and putting things back in their original spots. Once they were done, Malik opted to teach her a round of calligraphy that had the brunette instantly captured. She had witnessed the painting of Japanese calligraphy, but never one of a different language.

In the middle of their session, however, they were interrupted by the sound of loud bells chiming in the distance. A sound that was eerily familiar to her. Malik's head shot up, his face scrunching in frustration and anger.

It was obvious that something was wrong.

"That ignorant fool," he growled lowly, standing from his seat and hurrying over to the entrance of the bureau. Selene followed his movements as he waited by what looked to be a lever of some sort, probably to shut the gated ceiling in case of danger.

"What's wrong? What do those bells mean?" the brunette asked, watching as the dai let out a long sigh. He turned back to her, keeping one hand on the lever.

"They signify a public assassination. Meaning that Altair failed to remain hidden and complete his mission correctly." He finished curtly, glaring up at the roof.

Selene opened her mouth to reply, only to snap it shut when she heard the stomping of boots above. They were quick and light, but still there and they were heading in their general direction. Only moments later, Altair came shooting down from the roof. He quickly climbed down, allowing Malik to shut the bureau with haste.

"I have killed Talal, the deed is done." Altair said proudly, haughtily before making his way over to the area with the many variations of pillows. His declaration immediately angered Malik, the dai turning a bright red as he turned on the assassin.

"Oh, I know. In fact, the _whole city knows!_ " he spat coldly, making Selene flinch at his tone. God, he was scary when he wanted to be. They both were. "You have broken yet another rule, to hide in plain sight and not become discovered! Your ignorance will only set you up for even more failure."

"I should not want to hear something of that stature from you, who chooses to stay a dai opposed to working outside like I continue to do." The assassin smirked, drawing a snarl from the man and causing him to stomp in his direction.

Before things could escalate, the brunette stepped in between the two and brought her hands up to halt Malik. "Enough! Both of you just calm down, okay?" she said the last part a bit softer, grimacing when she felt cold, glaring eyes staring at the back of her head.

Even so, her interference still seemed to work and the two resorted to staring at each other rather than bickering. Selene sighed, reaching up and rubbing the back of her neck tiredly. It didn't help that she felt older than she was at the moment. "If you two are finished…" she drawled, albeit a bit awkwardly.

Apparently Altair had other ideas.

The firm grasp on her bicep made her jump, and she was spun around to come face-to-face with the angered assassin. His face held no expression, but his eyes held the same glint that they had earlier; cold and deadly.

"What makes you think that you have an input in our quarrel, woman?" he growled, doing his best to intimidate her. And damnit, it was working.

Selene's lips parted, no words escaping them except for a shuddered breath of air. "T-There's no need to—" she stopped at the look he gave her, shrinking back as much as she could with his grip still tight on her.

"Let the woman go, Altair. She is right. There is no such need for you to frighten her like you have already." Malik sighed, waving his hand to get the golden-eyed man's attention. Said man looked down on her, capturing her uneasy gaze for a few moments before dropping his hand.

Altair turned his back to them. "You may believe what you like, Malik. But this does not change the simple fact that I have completed the objective given to me by the master. I shall rest for the remainder of my stay here and take my leave tomorrow."

"We are not done, novice. You are forgetting something." The dai stopped him, going behind the counter and rummaging around for a few seconds before pulling out a goblet and pitcher. He poured the liquid into the goblet before pushing it towards Selene, giving her a knowing look. She hadn't even realized her throat was dry until she looked at the goblet, giving him a grateful smile and taking it to down a sip. She did her best not to scrunch her nose. _Wine. Not surprising._

"If you are talking about the woman…" Altair replied, his back still turned as he trailed off, waiting for Malik to continue his point.

"Yes, the woman."

"The 'woman' is sitting right here." Selene grumbled under her breath, earning a chuckle from Malik.

"Forgive me. It was not my intention to upset you." He smiled, and that's all it took for her to nod. "Understand, Altair, that while she is welcome here she cannot stay without Al Mualim's knowledge first. You are still an anomaly to the brotherhood and it would not fare well if you were kept a secret from our master." He directed the last part to the brunette, purposely adding her into the conversation so she wasn't left out.

"I understand that. I do," Selene set the goblet down, fisting on hand in her lap. It unnerved her the Altair still hadn't turned around; in fact, he seemed to get tense when Malik mentioned their 'master'. Who was he exactly? Why did such a fearless, conceited assassin react like that? "So that means I'm going to have to meet him, right?"

"Indefinitely, yes. You will have to introduce yourself. However…we are unsure of what will happen during your meeting."

Selene furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

Before Malik could respond, a chuckle cut him off. "Your simple-mindedness is truly astounding." Altair half-mocked, turning around and catching her blue orbs with his own. That intimidating gaze was back, sizing her up and peering into her soul. He looked at her as if she was for lack of the better word, an idiot. "Al Mualim does not take kindly to intruders. Despite your intellect about us, it is more than likely that he will deem you a liar or a spy. And if this does happen to occur…"

"…He will have you executed." Malik finished for him, giving her a sideways glance that appeared to be guilty.

That was when she had tensed on her own. Execute her? Selene was well aware that the brotherhood was to kept a secret, but it was undeniable that she was of assassin blood and that she was no common spy. How could one lie about her situation when there was proof already set on the table?

"No…that's not right…" she trembled the slightest bit, her hands digging into each other to stop the action. "There has to be some way that I can prove to him I'm neither of those. I don't have any evil intentions whatsoever! Wait," she gasped, lifting up her hand to show off the gleaming ring on her finger.

 _Of course, I'm such an idiot!_ She thought irritably. _Tempus is the perfect getaway for me._ It all made sense. If she could somehow activate the ring for their master, he would have no choice but to believe her.

"Ah, the Piece of Eden. I had almost forgotten about your ring." Malik lifted his one hand to cup his chin in thought. "The message I sent to the master does explain the uniqueness of it, and that it stays faithful to your form. That may help you reason with him. Our master is not unjust or unfair, so that could possibly work in your favor should he listen to you."

"And yet, when he sees the ring on your person, it would not surprise me if he extracted your finger just to claim it."

"Enough, Altair! Your words do nothing to help." Malik barked at the sarcasm the assassin emitted. His words only continued to worry her.

Either way, something was bound to go wrong.

"I guess I won't know what will happen until I meet him." She mumbled, her head dropping in defeat. She studied Tempus with a thorough eye. The silver and gold of the band with the sapphire in the middle just captured her. It was such a beautiful ring with mysteries behind it that even she was unsure of. But those mysteries would maybe, just maybe, save her life in the long run.

"I hope all will be well. But it will do you no good to be exhausted when you do greet him, so I encourage you to rest until you leave." Malik said gently, ushering her down from the counter and directing her to the pillows in the corner. She just barely missed the look Altair gave them.

"Are you implying something, brother?" he asked snidely, barely containing a snarl when Selene laid upon the pillows he was just about to do the same to.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Malik snorted sarcastically, turning around and glaring at him. "Of course, you fool! She will be traveling with you. It is fairly obvious that I cannot leave my post, and to send her with another after you are going to the same place would be unwise—"

"No." Altair cut the dai off curtly, his hands twitching at his sides. The urge to reach for his weapons was strong, but he stopped himself. He knew he had more control then that. "I refuse to let her travel with me. I do not need a woman slowing me down."

Selene flinched back into the pillows. Man, this guy was an asshole. He clearly had no respect for woman, and it was easy to tell he only cared about himself. He really needed a rude awakening, and fast.

 _It appears that he already had one, and isn't taking it very well. That's probably why._

"You best be careful, novice. Your true colors are showing yet again." The dai snapped. "She _will_ be going with you. The master expects her arrival with you and that is the end of it. You can cry, stomp your feet like a petulant child all you want Altair but this is happening and it is happening tomorrow. You shall deal with it." Malik pinched the bridge of his noise, stopping his tirade and taking a breath to calm himself down. "As I have said before, do whatever it is you do before traveling. But do so quietly."

He made his exit to the back room after that.

Altair stood in the middle of the room, feeling out of place and angrier then he had felt in a long time. Not quite as angry as he was when being stripped of his rank, but angry nonetheless. This female was bound to bring misfortune upon him if she were to travel with him, and not only that, he liked his space. The suffocation he would feel would be uncomfortable and further annoy him. Unfortunately, he had no say if it was his master's orders. Yet another thing that did not sit well with him.

"Female." He called to Selene, watching as her head snapped up to look at him.

"Altair." She replied evenly, not missing the dangerous look that flashed through his eyes when she used his name. Well, it served him right. She was feeling a bit bipolar at the moment. She wanted to be afraid, to run and hide from him, but she was also irritated with the fact that he continued to act as if she was beneath him. It pissed her off.

He ignored the smug look she shot him. "If you are to be traveling with me, you will abide by my rules and will not question them."

"And those are?" she asked, unsurprised by this.

"Firstly, you will keep quiet. I do not care for unimportant conversation or gossip, whatever it is you women do—"

"You know, there's no reason for you to be so discriminative of my gender when referring to me. I don't understand, if you hate me so much, why didn't you just leave me there to die? Hell, if you wanted the ring so much you could have cut it off my dead body. It's not like you assassins are so against doing that already." She finished, anger seeping into her voice as she carried on.

Altair lifted a brow at her sass. His anger seemed to melt away, this time filled with amusement and a little bit of shock. He understood that this girl was stuck in a situation she couldn't get out of, and he also knew she was slightly afraid of him; that much was obvious. But these sudden bouts of courage didn't cease to stun him into silence.

He wasn't used to people talking like that to him, especially not the opposite gender. The courtesans in Masyaf were polite, and only really spoke when they were spoken to. That applied to mostly all women he had encountered, but not this one. This one seemed braver, fierce with an iron will that wouldn't budge.

He wouldn't call it intriguing, but it definitely was interesting.

"It matters not what I think about you; you are an innocent above everything and it is my duty to ensure your safety against my enemies. The ring only added to your value."

Yes, that was an accurate response. It would have to do.

Despite this, Selene snorted. It was a typical response from the assassin. She really shouldn't have expected something kinder. "Right. I shouldn't be surprised. Alright, what else do I need to know?"

"You are a strange one." Altair shut his eyes, sighing through his nose. "I would like one of those pillows." He flicked a finger in her direction, pointing to one of the plush cushions beside her. Selene rolled her eyes, picking one up and throwing it to him. Of course he caught it with ease, setting himself against it as he lowered himself against the wall.

"You are to stay in my line of sight. If you try to escape, I will be sure to hunt you down…and you will not like what your punishment will be." He said darkly, flashing his hidden blade for good measure.

Selene instantly got the message, a drop of sweat sliding down her face. She wiped it quickly, clearing her throat and nodding resolutely. "Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Alright. I can do those things. I think." She murmured the last part under her breath, silently thanking the gods above that he didn't seem to hear her.

"We will be leaving in the afternoon, no earlier and no later."

Selene nodded, leaning back against the pillows and watching the assassin do the same. He didn't completely rest, though. She could tell that he was still on alert, only resting a bit so that his guard was still up around her. It was almost as if he thought she was going to attack him in his time of relaxation.

She shook her head. Of course he did. That didn't matter to her, he could stay awake all night if he wanted to. He could be tired for all she cared.

She wasn't moving from this spot until tomorrow, and that was that.

Not like it was a possibility, anyway. He would catch her before she could go anywhere. Selene only hoped that traveling with him wouldn't be as miserable as he made it out to be.

For her benefit, and for her sanity.

 **(x0x)**

 **I have absolutely no words. None.**

 **Review, favorite and follow. I would love everyone's feedback.**

 **Thank you!**

 **~M**


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